Crimson and Silver
by SnowieBearSnarl
Summary: The world of Remnant is filled with many legends and myths, but some have more truth than others. One such myth speaks of two powerful races that once defended man and faunus kind alike in ancient times. One of these races were the Vampires. Though now few in numbers, they still exist, often living as bandits to get by. A new Vampire has awakened, a silver eyed girl named Ruby.
1. Revelation

"Mmmmm…" A weak whine filled the empty and otherwise silent room, a frustrated and resigned grumbling that had been going on and off for hours. At her desk beside the front door, a girl in a red cape and hood couldn't focus even slightly on her homework in front of her. Her long black, red tipped hair draped unevenly on one side of her head over her shoulder. She wore her signature cape and hood but she had grown a lot since she entered Beacon, she was taller now, taller than Weiss. Ruby wore a black top with red plastic gems raining down the fabric, accumulating at the bottom towards her waist before the solid fabric gave way to a semitransparent black chiffon that hung down longer on one side, falling down to her knees beside her skirt. At her ears were two ruby earrings dangling from thin gold chains given to her by her partner.

 _Why do they hurt so much?_ A dull, throbbing pain in her mouth had come on pretty quickly and it only seemed to be getting worse as both her canine teeth ached, sending waves of pain radiating through her mouth. Even as she gently and carefully licked them with her tongue she couldn't feel anything wrong with them, though they felt strangely different, just slightly. _If I tell Yang she'll just give me a hard time for eating too many sweets, Weiss would probably be even worse. Maybe I could ask Blake, she probably wouldn't tease me about it._

"I don't wanna go to the dentist!" With an exaggerated sigh she collapsed down on her papers, pressing her cheek against the cool, smooth surface, enjoying the sensation against her skin as a small reprieve from her pain. _This has been going on for a couple weeks, maybe I should see a doctor too. I'm team RWBY's leader though, I can't let myself get sick, my team needs me. I don't want to worry my friends but something just feels off and I'm kinda getting worried. The weekend is coming up, maybe I'll go to the clinic here tomorrow while Yang, Weiss and Blake do their own things, I'm sure I can keep it a secret._

"But do I really want to go alone? Maybe I could ask Jaune or Pyrrha to come with? Team CFVY is around right now and they don't have another mission scheduled till next week I think. I wonder if Velvet would come with? I really don't like doctors either so I don't want to go by myself but I don't want to make my friends worry about me." That was the whole reason she'd been putting it off so long. _We just got out of the infirmary from our last mission. Blake and Yang were a little beat up, Weiss was okay thankfully… I know I had it worse than they did and they've been concerned about me a lot, I don't need to make things harder on them._

"But ever since we came back from that mission things have been… weird?" She wasn't even sure how to describe it, she just felt strange… _and if I'm being honest, I'm kinda scared a little._

"I guess a quick stop in the clinic wouldn't be too bad, pretty sure everyone else is busy today, I can probably go and come back before anyone knows I'm gone." Ruby sat up, brushing stray strands of hair from her face before reaching for her scroll at the edge of her desk and checking the time. "Weiss said she was going to do sparring practice with Pyrrha and Yang is in Vale dragging Blake with her… all in all I should have an hour before anyone gets back."

"I guess I should hurry…" She wasn't thrilled, she hated bothering people especially when she wasn't even sure what she was going to say when she got there but her worry for her health was overwhelming her introversion. So, begrudgingly, she forced herself up out of her seat.

Classes were out for were out for the week and everyone ready to enjoy the weekend so the dorms were pretty quiet, her extroverted fellow classmates were all out having fun while her fellow introverts were staying in, recharging from a long day. Even so, as she left her room she couldn't help but feel weary while she ever so quietly closer her door before turning around and walking towards the exit to the dorms.

Thankfully she found her assessment mostly true, the halls were nearly devoid of her fellow students and the few that were there barely gave her a passing glance as they hurried on their way to whatever it was they they were doing. Even so, Ruby felt an extreme amount of unease whenever someone got too close, a strange, tight feeling would constrict her chest and her teeth would ache ever more intensely until they got far enough away. As those who came too close drew away a sense of uncomfortable emptiness would and loss would trickle up in her chest, like she had missed something important, something she needed.

 _How am I supposed to explain any of this to the doctor? I- I don't know what's happening to me. I'm really glad I left when I did, I don't think I would be okay around my team right now. People are looking at me aren't they? Grrr, my teeth ache so much and my chest feels weird! What is going on with me!?_

All she could do was keep her head down and grit her teeth against the pain in her canines that was growing unbearable and flared with breathtaking intensity whenever someone got too close. She was flushed and dizzy and her whole body felt like it was being consumed by an ever growing fever. She could feel beads of sweat accumulating on her skin and her breaths were tepid and weak. She could barely think coherently, her attention so occupied on the gnawing, relentless feeling that screamed at her, so overwhelming that she couldn't even decipher what that feeling was, nor did she realize that she had reached the infirmary. A trek that only took her no more than a few minutes felt like an hours long journey, every step feeling heavier and every meter gained feeling longer and longer.

 _I- I can't… my head feels so fuzzy. It feels like my blood is on fire and I'm cold at the same time. W- what's happening to me?! Am I- am I dying? It's like there's this pressure everywhere, in my chest and skin and blood, my head and my mind and even my aura… I- I don't-_

"Ruby? What are you doing here? You look awful?" The familiar and at first cold voice instantly descended into deep concern as her partner saw the state that her leader was in. It was a young woman, a little older than Ruby with very short white hair done in a pixie cut as opposed to the long, flowing hair she had when they first met. She wore a white dress suspended by thin straps at her shoulders that flowed down to her waist before poofing out in many frilled layers before stopping just above her knees, falling into a gradient of blue.

"W-Weiss… yeah I'm- you're hurt." Ruby's big silver eyes drifted down from Weiss' deeply concerned face to her partner's bare arm to a small gash below her shoulder where deep crimson trickled down.

"It's just a scratch, I underestimated Pyrrha it seems, I'm far more concerned with you! You seemed a little distracted when we left class but you didn't look anywhere near this bad and that was less than an hour ago." Weiss waited patiently for some explanation, it wasn't like her leader to keep things from their team, especially if it was something this bad.

Ruby, however, didn't say a word. All that pressure, that screaming feeling that overwhelmed her, her pain, the aching in her teeth, the heat and energy that flooded her body's every cell were now all concentrated, snapped from the chaos onto a single thing that made her pupils dilate and every fiber of her being urge her towards one thing. Finally, she knew what that all consuming feeling was as it came into focus, her gaze fixed on the blood trickling slowly from her teammate's arm… _Hunger… I- I'm hungry…_

"Hey, you seem really out of it and you look feverish. I should get you into the clinic and call Yang and Blake back here, you need-" Suddenly, Ruby who had been in a dazed stupor moved forward, her eyes never deviating from her teammate's small wound. It was like her senses were on hyperdrive. She could smell the warmth and metallic scent to her blood, however, it wasn't that acrid smell she used to dislike, now it smelled so much deeper. She could feel her partner's heartbeat and hear the blood rushing through her veins and arteries like a powerful river contained inside that small, frail body. The pain was unbearable in her canine teeth as she grabbed Weiss' arm, her hot blood trickling down onto her thumb as it pressed tightly into her muscle beneath her skin.

"W-what are you doing?" Weiss' confused and steadily ever more fearful words barely registered to Ruby. All her senses and thoughts were consumed by that tiny drop of blood that warmed her skin flowing from her partner's body.

 _I can feel her blood rushing just beneath the surface… it's like it's crying out to me…_ Her breaths became faster and shorter as her lips raised, showing her teeth, her canines noticeably longer than before. Her vision tunneled and her heart pounded in her chest as the hunger and overpowering desire wore down the last of her resolve. _I need it. I need to- I need to taste it. Just one bite… just one-_

"Ruby!" A shout and a jerk snapped Ruby out of her daze as Weiss pulled back, her eyes wide with fear. At first, the young leader wasn't exactly sure what was happening but after a few blinks, she found her lips hovering only centimeters away from the small gash in Weiss' arm, the smell of her blood nearly overwhelming her again if it weren't for the horror in her friend's voice pulling her from the compulsion.

"I- I'm sorry…" She was trembling and that fire turned cold as ice in her veins as she stared at her partner, fighting her eyes every moment to not look back down at her wound. _What was I about to do… I was going hurt Weiss._

"Ruby, you're scaring me, please, let me get you into the clinic, you're clearly not well." The heiress' fear as now pushed aside entirely by concern and caring for her leader. She reached out her hand towards Ruby's, that broken and sickened look on her face was something she had never seen from the bright and cheerful leader she had followed for years.

"I'm sorry!" With a pain filled shout, Ruby vanished in a blur, leaving Weiss grasping at rose petals, the delicate flowers caressing her fingers as they fell to the ground or got swept away in the warm spring breeze.

"Something is seriously wrong with her." Ruby was her partner and their leader, so she took it upon herself to be Team RWBY's de facto second in command. So, she did the only thing she could do, she reached into her bag at her waist and pulled out her Scroll, opening it up and going to her contacts.

"Yang, you and Blake need to come back to Beacon, something is very wrong with Ruby."

* * *

She was quivering as she panted for breath, staggering away from the trail of rose petals that led straight to her. She hoped she'd covered enough distance to keep Weiss from catching up as her mind reeled from everything the had happened and what she had almost done. Even so, soon something else took over her thoughts… the irresistible aroma that emanated from Weiss' blood as it cooled on her hand.

She couldn't take it anymore. After a quickly glance around to make sure she was alone in the corner of Beacon she had stopped in, she brought her fingers up to her lips, taking a long, deep inhale through her nose. The scent had dulled with the drying of the blood but it was still making her brain go crazy, somehow, it smelled like Weiss in a way she couldn't quite describe. A tiny smile pulled at her lips as she stuck her tongue out, her fangs showing as she began to lap up the mostly dried blood.

Waves of relief and pleasure flowed over her as she licked up every drop of blood, her saliva smearing the crimson on her skin, keeping it from drying further. Her tongue lapped over her hand, desperately licking up as much as she could while she smiled in contentment. It was so intense, everything she could taste from Weiss' health, her personality, even her aura, Ruby could taste it all. It was cool and delicate but held a depth of passion and strength and a hint of gentleness that permeated through every molecule. She savored it as much as possible before swallowing it down, filling her chest with a pleasant heat and sending shivers down her spine.

"That was amazing…." She could barely stand as she fell back against the wall with the most blissful grin on her face. _I've never felt something so incredible and deep… I feel a little better now… but I need more. I don't think I can ask anyone for their blood, they'd probably be scared of me._

"Hmm… I don't want to go back to feeling really sick, that'll just make everyone worry and besides, I really liked that. So, what can I-" Like a spark, an idea hit her as her gaze drifted down to her own wrist. Her tongue gently and carefully traced the outline of her fangs that had grown substantially in a single day and were now unbelievably sharp. _It wouldn't hurt that much right? I mean, it would at least keep me from wanting to eat my friends… something to take the edge off, just a little._

Her senses were still on overdrive from Weiss' blood but it only wetted her appetite. So, after a moment of hesitation, she gave into the impulse again, bringing her wrist up to her lips and opening her mouth. She felt a painful sting as her fangs penetrated her skin but then, all she could feel was her blood flowing into her mouth. Ruby's breaths grew rapid and short as she lapped up the blood that poured out, washing over her tongue and filling her chest with nice, gentle warmth as she swallowed it down. It tasted so much different than Weiss' but still she could already taste just a little bit of Weiss in her own blood. The pure bliss she got from Weiss' blood however was lost as she drank her own vital fluid, instead, it merely felt nice and relaxing.

 _Whatever is happening to me… I don't hate this part._

* * *

"I'm telling you something is seriously wrong with her!" Weiss stomped her foot down on the hardwood floor of their dorm, very quickly losing her patience as she tried to make Blake and Yang understand something that even she wasn't certain how to explain.

"Are you sure she wasn't just messing with you?" A tall and stunning blonde looked at her with no small amount of confusion as she ran her fingers through her bangs. The brawler hadn't changed too much over the years, her outfit now consisting of skin tight tattered jeans, black fingerless gloves that stretched past her elbows and a tank-top that ruffled out at her hips with a fiery red crawling up the yellow fabric from the hem. Yang knew Weiss wasn't the type of person to trigger alarms for nothing but still, none of it was making sense. _Something about her looking sick, weird teeth, blood and biting? Yeah, that doesn't make sense._

"It's not that we don't believe you Weiss, we're just having a hard time understanding." Cat ears twitched atop her head of long black hair as he stress accumulated. The bookish, reserved member of their team had opened up a lot, thanks in no small part to her friends. She wore a long white coat, black shorts and a black top and a silver necklace with a yellow gem in the middle. Blake was trying to keep everyone calm though there was no mistaking Weiss' agitation as she tried to explain the situation. Weiss was normally the one they relied on to be calm and composed, usually she was the one reining them in.

"I've been Ruby's partner for three years now, I know when something isn't right!" She'd never seen Ruby like that before and it was scaring her, but even more she was angry and frustrated that she could get her team on the same page.

"Have you tried calling her?" Yang frowned, letting her hands rest on her hips. She really didn't want to think something was wrong with her little sister… _But if it's enough to get Weiss this worked up we have to deal with it, we know Ruby means a lot to her._

"Of course I've tried calling her! She won't answer!" As if that wasn't the first thing she tried immediately after she realized that Ruby didn't want to be found. "I tried calling her every five minutes until you both came back."

"Any idea where she would have run off to? We can ask JNPR for help, cover more ground but it'd be nice to narrow down the search." Yang had to admit that Ruby hasn't exactly been herself since their near death experience on that mission a few weeks earlier, but she just figured her little sister was feeling guilty for them getting banged up. _But she's the one that almost died._

"She likes to waste time on the roof, in the library or in the courtyard, I already checked those places. She clearly doesn't want to be found so it won't be that easy, getting JNPR involved would probably be a good idea." Now that they were finally starting to listen to her Weiss' frustration faded, leaving only her deep concern and caring in her pale blue eyes and soft voice.

"Don't worry, we'll find her." With a reassuring smile and a gentle touch to her shoulder Blake did her best to comfort her friend. _I don't think I'd be in a better frame of mind if it were Yang or Sun in Ruby's position._

"I'm worried about her… what if-" Weiss was immediately cut off and all their attention turned to their door as it unlocked and the handle turned before it was slowly and nervously pushed open, a young woman stepping in with one hand hidden behind her back.

"Ruby!" Instantly Weiss broke from Blake's touch, rushing to the her partner as Ruby closed the door behind her, shrinking back against the wall and not making eye contact with anyone until her partner grabbed her firmly by her arms and pushed her against the wall. Ruby looked up with guilt and fear as Weiss held her, the heiress' eyes glistening with tears as she gave Ruby a gentle shake. "Where have you been!? I tried calling you! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

"I- I'm sorry…" Ruby shrunk back from Weiss as far as possible. Her wrist ached as she held it behind her back and even with how much she drank from herself, she could feel her hunger steadily growing again as everyone looked intently at her.

"You don't look so good Sis." Suddenly Weiss' worry was making a lot more sense to her. Ruby was really pale and seemed kinda out of it.

"Why are you hiding her your hand behind your back?" Blake stepped forward, her amber eyes hard and piercing as gently ushered Weiss back from Ruby by her shoulder, giving their leader a bit of breathing room. Yang and Weiss couldn't tell, human senses were notoriously dull, but there was no mistaking the scent that wafted strongly from her friend… _I smell blood… a lot of it._

"I'm not!" Her instantaneous and vehement response wasn't convincing anyone, only causing their suspicions to grow. Ruby could feel her heart beating faster and faster and that in turn made her self inflicted wounds bleed even more into the bandages wrapped around her wrist.

"Show us your hand." Cold, demanding and uncompromising Weiss ordered their leader to them her wrist, her tone leaving no doubt that she wasn't playing around.

"No!" She pressed her back against the wall even harder, resting as much of her weight on her wrist as she could to slow the bleeding, the scent of her own blood rapidly amplifying her hunger.

"Show us your wrist and show them your teeth." Weiss folded her arms over her chest, stepping just enough for Yang and Blake to both see Ruby as panic took over their leader's expression, her lips clamping down while her tongue gently licked her newly grown fangs.

"Blake." She was done being nice, if Ruby wasn't going to let them help then she would just have to do what needed to be done. For a moment, Blake's eyes widened with the realization of what Weiss was asking her to do, her ears standing erect atop her head before she gave a solemn nod… and quickly grabbed Ruby's wrist, pulling it up with all her strength despite Ruby's very weak struggle.

Then… everyone could see. Eyes widened and hearts all but stopped as they looked Ruby's wrist held up by Blake. It was wrapped in bandages that were now almost dripping with blood, crimson staining the white cloth bandage. For Ruby however, she barely registered their reactions, instead, she could sense it, the blood rushing through Blake's hand as it held her arm, the slight vibration of her vital fluid coursing through her veins just beneath the surface as a familiar ache crept back into her fangs. _This bad! This is really bad!_

"Ruby… what-"

"Let go!" A terrifyingly belligerent roar escaped her as her strength surged, not only ripping her arm from Blake's grasp but also pushing her away, nearly toppling the faunus before she cradled her bleeding wrist in her hands, growling defensively at her team.

Once more, they were struck silent, not only by her bleeding wrist, not only by range and strength… but by her eyes, once pure silver now burned with a ring of crimson around the shining steel. Ruby's lips were pulled back as she showed her teeth, instinctively trying to keep them back, but unwittingly exposing something she was trying to hide.

"You have fangs…" Yang muttered, barely able to believe her own eyes as she looked at the long, sharp canine teeth stained with blood in her sister's mouth.

"Just- just stay away!" With that desperate shout… Ruby disappeared once again in a blur and a shower of rose petals and before anyone knew where she had went, the door to their bathroom slammed shut, locking them out with Ruby inside.

"What the hell is going on?!" The door slamming snapped Yang back into coherence and now she needed answers and even more than that, she needed to help her sister.

"I don't know but we need to find out." Without another word Weiss walked over to the bathroom door, knocking on it as hard as she could. "Ruby please open the door, we just want to help you!"

… nothing, no answer came but heavy, rapid breathing muffled by the door.

"Come on Sis, let us in, let us know what's going on!" Yang tried… but still nothing.

"Break it down!" Blake's ears were turned towards the door, her hearing attuned to a very distinct and specific sound and the powerful, acrid smell that leached out from the spaces around the door.

"Are you sure?" Weiss felt that may be a little drastic, but it was definitely a consideration.

"Now!" Blake's terrified and panicked shout was more than enough to convince them that she knew something they didn't.

"Okay, Yang, do it." On Weiss' command she and Blake stepped aside while Yang stepped forward. All it took was one good punch to break the lock and force the door flying open!

"Ruby!" Their horrified cried all rang out in unison as they rushed into the bathroom, crowding around the young leader as she sat against the sink, drops of blood rolling down her chin and slowly trickling up from her wounds on her wrist. Her body was limp and she was deathly pale and as Weiss knelt down, wrapping her arms round Ruby… she was cold to the touch.

"Help me get her to the infirmary now!"

* * *

"Hmmmm…" A exhausted hum rumbled from her throat as she began to stir back into consciousness. Her fingertips felt numb and her head was fuzzy but as she slowly blinked herself awake, she could feel condition quickly improving as blood was pumped into her veins via an IV bag hanging by her bed.

"She's waking up!"

"W-Weiss… I'm sorry." Sher felt beyond tired, all she wanted to do was go back to sleep… well, that, and drink more of her own blood.

"You dolt! Do you have any idea how worried you made us!?" Beside her bed Ruby saw her team standing around her, looking down on her, not with fear or disgust, but with pure worry and compassion, Weiss once again on the brink of tears.

"I don't know what's happening to me." She would laugh if she didn't feel so terrible. She had spent her entire day trying her best not to make her team worry. _Now look at what I've done to them. I really messed everything up. I should have told them the truth from the beginning._

"I'm scared. I don't know what's going on but I'm scared."

"We'll figure this out together but from now on, no more keeping secrets." A warm, gentle touch surrounded Ruby's hand as Weiss' cradled it gently in her own, smiling down softly at her leader. "We'll figure this out together okay."

"Actually, you won't." A dull a callous voice spoke up, stealing the attention of Ruby's friend's as the turned to face the tall man in a tattered red cape with a flask in his hand leaning against the doorframe to the clinic.

"Uncle Qrow? What are you doing here?" Yang raised an eyebrow at the unexpected entry.

"Ozpin called me, told me what happened. I need to talk to Ruby alone… now." He waited for as long as it took him to gulp down another mouthful of his liquor before he turned his dark and fierce gaze on the young women around the bed, his crimson eyes telling them that it was not up for debate.

"We'll be right outside Sis." Yang knew better than to talk back to Qrow when he got like that which almost never happened. All she could do was step aside and let him do whatever he thought he needed to and be there for her when it was over.

"Okay… you'll come back right?" Ruby turned her gaze to her partner, her eyes still rimmed with crimson around her silver as she looked up at Weiss almost pleadingly. She was exhausted from hiding her fear, now, all she wanted was for Weiss to hold her hand for just a little longer.

"Yes, of course I'll come back." Weiss smiled despite her fears, because all that mattered was that Ruby was going to let her help. With a soft sigh she reluctantly pulled her hand away, following the rest of her team out, giving one last longing look back at the beautiful girl on the bed before leaving with Yang and Blake.

"Hey kid, sounds like you've had a pretty busy day." His voice and demeanor became lighter and warmer as he pulled up a seat by her bed, putting his flask back at his side.

"Yeah…" She wasn't in any mood to smile. Normally seeing her uncle was the highlight of any day he showed up but all she could think about was how uncomfortable she was, watching the blood drip into her vein from her IV. It felt wrong, getting blood into her body like that, it make her feel strange in a not good way even while she felt the effects of her self induced blood loss subside.

"I bet you have a lot of questions… I can answer them but it's not going to be easy to take it all in. There's a lot I'll have to dump on you right now, things I was hoping I'd never have to talk about with you." He had to stop his impulse to reach for his drink as he worked up the nerve to get through this conversation he'd been dreading.

"Please, if you know what's wrong with me you have to tell me!" She struggled to sit up but her pleading eyes never left Qrow's as she sat. "What is happening to me?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? The fangs, the blood drinking? Should be pretty clear that you're a Vampire." The nonchalantness in his words did absolutely nothing to cushion the shock for Ruby.

"D- did you just say… Vampire?" She gaped at him, her tongue licking at her fangs, the subtle taste of blood still lingering in her mouth, tantalizing and enticing her to drink more.

"Yeah, honestly, I didn't think you were one, not with those silver eyes of yours. I was sure you only got your mom's side and lucked out of getting my Vampirism. Guess all it took for was another near death experience to trigger it or some-"

"Wait… why would I get being a Vampire from you?" Suddenly, a new notion took over her mind, even overpowering her vampiric instincts as she thought of the only possible reason… _but, that can't be true._

"Yeah, this might be the hardest part… alright well, Taiyang is your dad in every way that really counts but as far as biology goes… I'm your father." He waited for something, anything, any kind of reaction. He expected anger, he expected crying, he expected her to tell him to get out… but all he got was silence and a long, vacant stare as Ruby struggled to process everything that was happening to her.

"Look, this isn't so bad." He quickly tried to recover from the seemingly devastating revelation he dropped on her. "I want to take you with me to my old clan, I know you probably won't want to go but until you get a handle on your new life you'll be putting your friends in danger. I think, once you embrace it, you'll find there's a lot of things to like."

"I- I almost bit Weiss…" Very little was able to penetrate the storm of emotions in her mind but those words managed to leave her lips as little more than a whisper.

"Yeah, I heard. Look, once you get used to your new life you can come back, your friends will be safe around you but for now, you can't stay here. Ozpin wants me to pull you from Beacon temporarily until I can tell him you've got this under control." It was just one bombshell after another and he could see it quickly wearing his daughter down. He hated having to do this but he wasn't really in a position to chose.

"So I'd live with you and a bunch of Vampires?" She was reeling and spiraling and was in no condition to make sense of any of this.

"Well, I'm a Vampire too but yeah. Oh, and my sister Raven will be there so at least you've got someone else you sorta know about." All he could do was smile and try his best to be reassuring in what was likely the most tumultuous conversation of his daughter's life.

"Wait… Raven? But, if she's a Vampire then what about Yang?" Crimson eyes... Yang had crimson eyes when she used her Semblance. Qrow and Raven both had crimson eyes.

"Yeah, Yang's a Vampire too but her mother did something that kept that side of her locked away. Not the most popular decision with our clan but then I went and got a Slayer pregnant so they kinda forgot about her real quick." A halfhearted laugh left with his breath as he gave in, reaching for his flask. _I suck and this comforting thing don't I?_

"Slayer?" Ruby tilted her head bemused. _He's talking about my mom right?_

"Yeah, I guess you probably want to hear a story about that huh?" He gulped down the rest of his alcohol, numbing the awkwardness and discomfort that spanned the entire time since he walked in the room.

"Well, long ago, before humans or faunus discovered Dust, there were two races of people that could fight the Grimm and protect everyone else. They were the Silver Eyed Slayers and the Crimson Eyed Vampires. We worked together and kept everyone safe back in the day. Though as time went on and people started using Dust we fell out of popularity and now there aren't many of us left. I know a lot more Vampires than Slayers, in fact, the only ones I've ever know are you and your mom." His flask was empty as he held it up above his mouth to catch every drop he could.

"So… am I a Slayer or a Vampire?" Those words, she wasn't even sure what they meant really. Qrow, her uncle- no, her father, was a Vampire, her mother was a Slayer. _So what's the difference? What can Vampires do? Is it why Qrow can turn into a bird? What could Mom do?_

"Well, you're both. As far as I know you're the first Vampire and Slayer hybrid. I don't know what that means for you though. Will you still be able to get a Familiar? A Vassal? Will you get your new Semblance? Can you use the power of the Silver Eyes? Honestly, when it comes to those questions, I'm as in the dark as you." He had hoped for almost two decades that Ruby wouldn't be a Vampire, that she was just a Slayer like her mom, but now she was lost. Ruby wasn't human, faunus, Vampire or Slayer… _I can't imagine how she must feel right now._

"Wait, I get a new Semblance?" She looked at him with awe and wonder with the slightest smile on her lips, showing her fangs without care, her mind thinking about what her new Semblance could possibly be, coming up with every scenario she could think of, her imagination running wild.

"All Vampires do once you get your familiar. Still, to do that you'll have to come stay with our clan and learn about what Vampires are and what you're capable of." He could feel her heartbreak as her smile dissolved. Beacon had always been her dream but now she would have to leave. _I'm sorry Ruby._

"I- I think I need to get some rest." It was all too much, her mind felt like it was on the verge of shutting down, between exhaustion from blood loss, the gnawing hunger of bloodlust, the worry she put her friends through and her own fears now compounded with everything her unc- her father, had dropped on her.

"Okay, that's probably a good idea. I'll send your team back in." With a heavy sigh he forced himself up and turned towards the door. _I just hope my clan will accept her._


	2. Goodbye

"Qrow is your dad!?" Yang's expression was even more shocked and confused than Ruby's was when that particular bombshell was dropped on her.

"You're a vampire!?" Blake looked almost too excited and enthralled, doubtlessly imagining one of the many books she had read, romanticizing the blood drinking creatures of the night.

"You're leaving Beacon?" Weiss' tone was soft and hurt, the impact of the rest of Ruby's story entirely overwhelmed by the heartache in her chest as she watched their leader pack her things.

"Apparently, yes and unfortunately… yes." Ruby was still trying to make sense of most of it. She slept in the clinic after losing a little over half of her blood to herself though she didn't get much sleep. _So, I'm not human… this feels so weird. I'm a Vampire, I have fangs and I drink blood. How am I supposed to deal with this?_

"Why do you have to leave?" The word vampire didn't mean much to Weiss, even now, all it meant to her was that it was making Ruby distressed and making her leave their team.

"I almost bit you, that's why." Ruby wasn't even looking at them as she struggled to stuff as much as she could into her one bag that Qrow was allowing her to bring. "I'm new to this whole thing but I almost ate you Weiss, I saw you bleeding and I almost lost control. Until I figure this out I'm not safe to be around. Qrow said that he's taking me to his clan or something, other vampires, they'll know how to help me. Apparently they have people there who will be willing to give me their blood too which helps, it kinda hurts going without it, I don't know how Qrow has managed so long. I barely got through the night without biting myself again."

"If Qrow is your dad then… that means we're not really sisters." Yang's mind was barely able to work through the waves of huge, life changing new she had gotten in rapid fire but after being stunned for minutes, her mind came to a conclusion that she really wished she had never thought of. _So I'm not just losing my leader for a little while but I'm losing Ruby as a sister… this is impossible for me and I'm still human, I can't imagine what she's going through or how she's dealing with this._

"Of course we're sisters!" Through all the fear, confusion and sense of loss, one thing was never in doubt in her heart. "It doesn't matter who my dad is, you'll always be my sister, you practically raised me, nothing can change that!"

"I'm sorry but this is just a lot to take in… my sister is actually my cousin and she's a vampire, my leader is leaving our team to go live with other Vampires. I- I just need time to wrap my head around this." She just couldn't fathom how her sister was holding it together. _I'm barely functioning with all of this information and she's the one living it._

"I know, I'm still struggling with it too. Still, I know that going with Qrow is the right call. I can barely think over the aching in my fangs and I'm really, really hungry. If I don't get this under control soon I'll end up being a danger to everyone around me. There's a lot I have to learn about being a Vampire before I can feel comfortable enough to be around people I care about and not have to worry about hurting them." With a heavy sigh she forced the zipped on her bag closed. It was filled to the brim, largely clothes, books and her weapon toolkit with miscellaneous things thrown in as well.

"How far away is where you're going?" Blake frowned subtly, her ears drooping slightly atop her head. Over the last three years she had really come to love her friends and their leader, she wasn't used to getting so close to people. _But I know she'll come back, because that's just who Ruby is._

"Qrow said it's about two days on train then another day on foot through rough terrain so it's pretty far." She wasn't thrilled with the prospect of such a long trip but her team's missions had taken her farther from home in the past.

"You should drink before you go." Suddenly, all eyes turned to Weiss, the heiress' pale blue eyes stared resolutely at Ruby, burning with conviction despite the shocked look on her partner's face.

"Weiss… you don't mean-"

"I think we should give them some privacy." With that, Yang grabbed Blake's hand in her own before quickly walking towards the door, pulling her girlfriend along with her. However, as she pulled the door open, crossing the threshold, something occurred to her that sent a wave of fear and cold rushing through her veins. _If Qrow is Ruby's dad and they're both vampires… that must mean that Raven, Qrow's sister and my mother is one too. So then… what am I?_

"Yang what's wrong?" Ruby leaving, Ruby not being her sister, Ruby not even being human, all of those were understandably distressing. Blake empathized, but as she closed the door to give her teammates privacy, she could tell there was something else wrong with her partner.

"Can- can I ask you something?" Now Blake was sure something was very wrong, it wasn't like Yang to be nervous, especially around her. Even so, the brawler still had her back turned to Blake, her shoulders raised slightly and one arm wrapped around her chest, holding onto her other shoulder while her other hand held tightly to Blake's, trembling ever so slightly.

"Of course you can." Gently and reassuring Blake squeezed Yang's hand, her words as warm as her touch.

"Would… would you still-" A false start, Yang tripping over her words before taking a long, steadying breath and closing her eyes. Her hand pulled away from her partner as she slowly turned around, keeping her eyes closed until she was facing Blake and then… they opened. Her once lilac eyes were burned a deep crimson but instead of rage, all Blake could see in them was fear.

"Would you still love me if I was like Ruby… a vampire?" Her lip quivered as she spoke, her voice nearly catching in her throat as she strained to hold back her nearly overwhelming emotions. Still, her gaze held on Blake's warm amber eyes, waiting for a response, waiting for that loving smile to fade into rejection and worry.

"What kind of question is that? You still love us even though we're faunus, how would this be any different?" She couldn't help the soft giggle that escaped her lips. Yang could be insecure about the strangest things. _Then again, something that seems obvious to me might not be to her since she's lived her whole life as a human._

"But that's not-"

"The same? How isn't it? What you are doesn't change who you are." It was a lesson she embraced a long time ago and it never ceased to be true. Without looking away from her stunning crimson eyes Blake took Yang's other hand in her own, gently massaging them with her thumbs, her cat ears standing happily atop her head.

"Think of Ruby, she just got hit with some of the most world shattering news of her life. In one night she learned that she wasn't human and that the person she always thought was her uncle is actually her father. Despite all of that, she's leaving Beacon, the place that's been her home for three years, just so she won't be a threat to us. Her being a vampire doesn't change who she and if you were one too, I wouldn't think of you any differently. I'm sure if I called Sun right now he would say the same thing." Yang rarely showed her insecurities but both Blake and Sun knew she had more of them than she let on. _It's taken a while but she's opened up to both of us, she knows we don't judge her. I'm happy we can make her feel safe._

"Thank you Blake, but Sun's on a mission right now, we don't need to bother him. Besides…" A warm and grateful smile formed from her lips and her eyes cooled back to lavender as they glistened with tears of relief and joy. With a small but heavy step forward she grabbed the smaller girl, wrapping her arms around her lower back and pulling her in close, resting her face atop her head between her cat ears. She could smell her shampoo, coconut and vanilla, she could feel her silky smooth hair against her lips and Blake's fur on her ears tickling her cheeks as they involuntarily twitched. "I feel a lot better now."

"I'm glad." She felt her entire body relaxing in Yang's embrace and a content smile made its way to her lips as she reached behind her girlfriend, her hands gently moving up her back, coming to rest on her muscular shoulders as she held her tight. _She makes me feel safe too._

"Even if Ruby isn't my sister biologically, Qrow is her dad and he's still my uncle… that means my mom, Raven, she's probably a vampire too." She didn't know what being a vampire was like, it didn't seem to bother Ruby too much after she drank half of her own blood.

"Are you scared you might be one too?" Ruby's eyes turned part crimson ever since they confronted her the night before, she knew Qrow had crimson eyes too. It seemed like a safe bet to her that it was a common trait among vampires.

"I honestly don't know how I feel about it." A long sigh left her lungs as she reluctantly pulled away, keeping her hands on Blake's hips as she stood back, looking her in the eyes. "But I need to know, and there's only one person who can give me the truth."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Ruby gulped but despite her reservations, her fangs were aching intensely and her heart was pounding, she could practically hear Weiss' veins calling out to her just begging to be tapped into.

"I'm sure just don't drink too much okay?" She was scared, she blurted out her offer without even thinking. _Still, I saw how bad it was for Ruby yesterday, I don't want her suffering for three days like that before she gets another chance to drink. I know she wouldn't hurt me so I shouldn't worry so much._

"I promise I won't, thank you so much for letting me do this. I'm really sorry, I just don't know how I'll manage without blood for so long." She could barely think over her gnawing hunger, it took all the will she had not to jump on Weiss, throw her to the bed and bite her at her most accessible large blood vessel.

"Don't thank me just be careful okay." With a soft exhale she steeled herself, forcing her nerves to calm as she removed her pure white chiffon vest with her family's emblem on the back of it, gently placing it onto her bed as she took a seat beside it. "Well come on, you train is going to be leaving soon so you probably don't have a lot of time."

"Right! Thank you." Despite her hunger screaming at her, despite the hot tension in her chest and the warmth in her cheeks, she couldn't help but feel a bit nervous as she took her place, sitting down on the bed beside her partner. _This feels really intimate, her just offering her blood, part of herself, something she needs to live, to me. I feel happy, I want to make sure this is a good experience for her. So I'll take care of her._

"Um can I ask… how does it feel? Drinking blood I mean." Her cheeks were glowing pink as she felt Ruby shifting beside her, changing her position to get more comfortable, while Weiss' body was facing outwards from the bed Ruby was now sitting atop her legs smiling fondly at her partner.

"When I grabbed you yesterday, I got a few drops of your blood on me from that cut you had. After I ran off, I tasted it… it's hard to describe but it was an amazing feeling. When I drank your blood it was like you were right there, I could taste everything about you and it was warm and deep and it felt amazing." Ruby was practically cooing as she took Weiss' hand in her own, her fingers gently caressing her arm as she pulled it up, exposing her cleanly shaven armpit.

"I- I see…" Her rational mind was blown away as she felt Ruby's soft, warm lips gently tickle the underside of her upper arm. "What exactly are you doing?"

"The vein I want is a little deeper so I'm feeling it out with my lips, sensing the blood rushing through it. Your skin is really soft and pretty thin and your veins are nice, this will be easy." Ruby's voice was dreamy and content as she softly kissed just below Weiss' armpit. Her instincts were guiding her, giving her a map of veins and arteries to bite and the knowledge of how to get at them.

"Okay just let me know before you- Ouch!"

It was too late, she felt the sharp sting as Ruby bit into her. For the young vampire, it was an indescribably amazing feeling. The pain in her fangs vanished as they pierced her partner's tender flesh, slicing through skin and fat with surgical ease sending a feelings of satisfaction radiating through her jaw until the points of her fangs tapped into her brachial artery. Then, she felt Weiss's blood rushing out, hot vital fluid washing over her tongue as she lapped it up, the heiress' heart pushing out more and more for her with each pump. It was even more intense than before and she felt an all consuming oneness with her friend as she gulped down mouthfuls of her blood.

The moment after the initial pain from the bite, all she could feel was bliss. In a more rational state she would have hypothesized that it was an adaption so that both vampire and host could benefit from the exchange, but she was too far gone for that level of thought. Her breathing became short and rapid as she felt every movement of Ruby's tongue against her bloodstained skin. She could hear the heated moans of pleasure from her leader as she imbibed her blood, they were both in a state of near ecstasy and Weiss found herself unable to even care as her vision dimmed and her head grew fuzzy from exsanguination. _She really is dangerous… I'm dying and it feels too good for me to care._

A deep and refreshed gasp escaped her lungs as she pulled back from Weiss' arm, panting heavily as drops of blood trickled down from her lip. Her entire vascular system felt like it was filled with pure warmth and happiness as Weiss' blood seemed to leach into her own. She couldn't stop smiling and her mind was hazy with euphoria. By her side Weiss collapsed, lying down and breathing just as heavily as Ruby though looking considerably more pale. Drops of crimson flowed out from the precision bite near her armpit while the heiress quivered from bloodloss and bliss.

"Sorry if I got a bit carried away." Ruby smiled sheepishly as she licked the blood from her chin, lips and fangs before falling down alongside her partner, lifting her arm up, exposing the bite once again. A weak, tired whine left Weiss' throat and her back arched ever so slightly as Ruby began licking the small wounds, the pure pleasure was now a warm contentment filling the young vampire's chest as she tenderly licked up all the blood she could and very quickly, Weiss' bleeding came to a stop.

"I guess my saliva can stop bleeding too." Licking the wound she made even after she had enough to drink was almost as strong a compulsion for her as biting in the first place and it still felt really nice with the added benefit of giving her just a little more blood and stopping the bleeding she caused. _Maybe being a Vampire isn't so bad._

"I- I'm going to miss you." All she wanted to do was sleep, to grab Ruby and hold her close and pass out, her mind and body left exhausted from bloodloss and pleasure.

"I'm going to miss you too. I promise, I will be coming back once I learn everything I need to about being a vampire." She didn't know how long that would take, but she knew in her heart that she would come back. _After all, Team RWBY is still my team, my friends… my family. Once I understand myself better, not only will they be safer, but I'll be a stronger and better leader._

"Get some sleep, you'll need it, a drink a lot." It was too late, Weiss was already out, snoring softly on her bed, her chest rising and falling steadily as she breathed. With a fond smile and a bittersweet feeling in her heart, Ruby bent down, brushing aside her long hair before her lips tenderly touched Weiss'. _I think it's for the best, that you didn't tell me how you felt about me. At least not until I come back. Still, I could taste your feelings every drop of blood. We definitely have a lot to talk about when I come home._

"Goodbye Weiss, I'll see you again soon. I promise."

* * *

"Qrow!" The particularly enraged voice shouting his name took his attention from his flask as he sat under a large tree in the courtyard. _Uh-oh, looks like she put two and two together. She seems pretty pissed… still, she can't fly- no, I've got to take Ruby in a few minutes. Damn it, I guess I'll just have to deal with it._

"Hey firecracker, Blake, something on your mind?" He knew playing dumb probably wasn't going to get him out of it but it was worth a try. Still, that only earned him an annoyed crimson glare from his niece and cold stare from her girlfriend who was holding her hand, no doubt there for moral support.

"What am I?!" Waves of heat rolled off of her aura as her Semblance flared up. Strangely, Blake seemed entirely unfazed by the fiery aura.

"Alright, fine, I suppose you've already figured it out anyway. Still, I'm surprised your boyfriend isn't here with you too, this is a pretty big deal." He leaned back on the tree, bringing one knee up. _Come on, take the bait and change the subject. I'm already in enough hot water with my clan as it is, Raven would kick my ass if I told you._

"Sun is on a mission and this can't wait." Indomitable, unwavering and uncompromising, Yang was a force to be reckoned with when she set her heart and mind to something.

"Fair enough." Qrow shrugged, swirling around his flask in his hand, feeling what little drink was left inside swishing around. "Yang… you're a vampire."

Qrow waited for a response, for outrage, for denial or confusion, but Yang just stood there, her rage cooling and her eyes fixed intently on him. By her side Blake looked up to her girlfriend with worry and compassion, her hand tightening around Yang's as she inched closer, pressing her arm against the silent girl beside her.

"Your mom, Raven, she did something to you when you were born, no one is really sure what except for her. Whatever she did, it locked away your vampire nature and abilities but it seems like they trickle out when you use your Semblance. Unlike Ruby, you're a full blooded vampire, she's only half, she gets her silver eyes from Summer, a slayer, and Ruby has that slayer lineage in her too. No one knows what that means for her. Your case is pretty complicated too though." A halfhearted laugh left him as he took one last gulp from his flask. _Raven is going to be pissed. Hopefully this does come back down on Ruby._

"Why would she do that?" Yang seemed numb to everything, her eyes cooled back to lilac and her expression dull with a subtle hint of pain.

"It's not something she likes to talk about. Apparently she didn't want you growing up as a vampire. I think Tai didn't know about her being a vampire when he got her pregnant. Maybe he didn't want her taking you to live with our clan. I don't really blame him, if I had any other choice I wouldn't take Ruby there either, but they're the only ones that can help her now." He really didn't like going groveling back to his family, but his daughter needed him and for once, he'd actually do the right thing, even if it was a pain in the ass.

"So if I could get my vampire side back-"

"Don't get your hopes up." He knew exactly where she was going with that train of thought and he wasn't a fan of wishful thinking. "Raven may have had good reasons to begin with but she's not a good parent. You becoming a full fledged vampire might get you into her clan, but I wouldn't hold your breath on having a real mother daughter relationship with her."

"I still have to try." Her grip tightened around Blake's hand as she took in a deep breath, regaining her composure focusing her heart. "It's a part of who I am and it's missing. I want it back."

"You do what you've got to do but don't think that it'll change who my sister is." With a tired groan he forced himself up, holstering his flask at his side. "Where's Ruby? It's about time we get going."

"She's grabbing a bite." There it was, that playful, fun and alive smirk that Yang wore. He couldn't be sure if it was faked or not but her girlfriend smiled right along with her and that was good enough for him.

"Of Weiss." Blake finished, nudging Yang with her hip as she stole the joke, eliciting a glare of feigned irritation and a playful shove in return.

"We should get over there just to make sure she doesn't exsanguinate Ice Queen." Qrow shoved his hands in his pockets and began walking towards the dorms, not waiting up for his niece and her partner. _I hope Ruby doesn't overdo it, I already have one sister pissed off at me, I don't need to deal with Winter today._


	3. Home

"Qrow my fangs hurt and I'm so hungry…" A pitiful whine filled the woods as Ruby griped, licking at her fangs where her once normal canine teeth used to be. It still felt weird, even after a few days having the geography of her mouth change was really something difficult to get used to. _I haven't fed since I drank from Weiss… her blood was so good and warm. It kept me satisfied a lot longer than drinking my own blood but it only lasted for two days._

"Well you haven't fed in a while so of course you are." The forest was quiet, the sounds of birds carelessly chirping away in the trees saturated the air with a chorus of natural music as the sun streamed in through the branches, touching down on the forest floor. Their trek wasn't easy but Ruby was happy for the exercise after being stuck on trains for the better part of two days.

"Then will you at least let me drink from myself?! I can barely think straight. Being a vampire sucks." Despite the intense pain in her fangs and the gnawing bloodlust permeating through every fiber of her being, she couldn't help but smile at herself, showing off those stunning sharp fangs. _Heh-heh… sucks. Yang would be proud._

"No, I want you to be miserable when we get there, it'll make them sympathize with you more. We want them to take you remember?" Qrow seemed agitated but he empathized with Ruby. _Going without blood for a young vampire is miserable. Hell, going without blood is miserable for me. Her constantly griping about it is working up a hunger that I've buried away for a while. What a pain in the ass._

"How come it seems like you're not really confident that they'll take me?" She was growing more and more nervous since they left. She didn't pick up on it at first because of everything that was going on but now that she was adjusting to not being human, it seemed like Qrow was never really optimistic about his clan.

"Because I'm not." He shrugged as he slashed his sword, cutting down the brush in their path. "I didn't exactly leave on good terms. My sister is the only one a keep in contact with."

"What happened? Why aren't you and your clan on good terms anymore?" Her feet were sore from the long walk and she was tired but her curiosity and even more so her worry had been piqued.

"Vampires and Slayers used to get along really well a long time ago, protecting faunus and humans from Grimm. Things happened and over time, the Slayers were loved while the Vampires were shunned. There's bad blood between us and me falling in love with your mother and getting her pregnant with you didn't sit well with the patriarch of our clan. When you were born with Silver Eyes we knew you were a slayer like your mom… at least we thought we knew. Anyway, I left my clan and that's not really something you can just do. I haven't been back since."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before I withdrew from Beacon!? What'll happen if they don't take me!? I can't control myself yet, I'm not safe to be around and my hunger is only getting stronger!" Now she was starting to panic. _I left everything behind thinking I would be going somewhere that could help me get a handle on this and now he's telling me they might turn me away?!_

"You had just awoken as a Vampire, you had a lot going on and this was your only shot. If it wasn't a sure thing I was worried you'd put up a fight." He didn't like having to lie to her but he felt he was doing the right thing.

"I left my team without their leader… all for a maybe." With a heavy and sigh and a heavier heart her pace slowly as she looked to the leaf littered ground. _What will I do if they turn me away? I was barely able to pull myself off of Weiss and I drank enough of her blood for her to pass out. I'm a danger to them._

"Relax kid, I don't think they'll be able to resist at least checking you out, if out of nothing else but curiosity. Isn't that right Raven?" With a smirk Qrow came to a stop, Ruby nearly plowing into him before quickly stepping back while looking around the now deathly silent forest.

"Hello brother." A cold and inscrutable voice spoke up as a woman with long, lustrous black hair clad in red and black robes stepped out from behind a tree to their side, her hand resting casually on the hilt of her sword at her side. Her crimson eyes were piercing and fierce, they reminded Ruby so much of Yang's when she used her Semblance. _So those are the eyes of a Vampire…_

"I'm guessing you're our escort? How sweet of you." Ruby could practically taste the tension between Qrow and his sister as they stared each other down.

"I was ordered to." With a soft sigh she took her hand from her hilt and began walking towards them, her gaze fixed now on the young woman beside her brother. "Besides, I wanted to take a look at Summer's child, the Vampire/Slayer hybrid. Silver eyes like her mother, rimmed with the crimson of her Vampire lineage."

"You're Yang's mom… right?" Ruby couldn't help but falter under the eyes of the pure Vampire that looked down at her. She was strong, Ruby's instincts told her as much.

"I am." She had few words to say on the subject. "You have fangs. Have you fed yet… aside from on yourself?"

"Just once, on my partner back at Beacon. It's been a few days." Raven's question brought hunger back to the forefront of her mind and her fangs were begging, screaming at her to bite into someone.

"Our village isn't far. If our leader accepts you, there are people who will allow you to feed on them there. Young Vampires require more frequent feeding, we can accommodate that. It's rare that we allow outsiders into our clan but since your blood ties to ours you should be welcomed home." Raven was aloof and detached but somehow Ruby didn't get a sense of optimism even from what appeared to be her attempt at comforting her.

"Thank you." All Ruby could do was give a nod of understanding and appreciation but still, an unease was welling up in her chest as Raven looked at her with those cold crimson eyes.

"Come, they're waiting for you." Without another word Raven turned around and began walking deeper into the dense woods. Qrow muttered some profanity in annoyance under his breath before he followed along with Ruby in toe. Something about coming home was putting her father in a really bad mood and she guessed there was more to his embitterment than he was letting on.

The woods only became thicker and thicker the further in they went, Ruby imagined that the thick, tall trees and rough terrain kept the Grimm at bay while keeping the largest ones out entirely. They had run into very few Grimm since leaving the safety of the kingdom the ones they encountered were easily dispatched by Qrow. _I had to leave before Crescent Rose could be fixed so I'm weaponless… I really don't like that but maybe going into a village of Vampires that might not trust me would go smoother without a weapon on my back. That's why Qrow was trying to keep me from feeding on myself, because it would make look sympathetic, being unarmed would help that too._

 _Raven said there would be people that would let me feed on them… what exactly does that mean? Do they have humans that stay there? Are they captured and held against their will? The only thing I know about Raven and Qrow's clan is that they're Vampires and bandits. I- I don't know if I'm okay with being a part of something that involves hurting people but… I need blood._ It was taking every ounce of will she had not to bite into her own wrist again, to not just cut herself a little on her tongue or lip.

Just as Ruby began to gently stroke the tips of her surgically sharp fangs with her tongue, a new sound and new scents filled the forest air, taking her attention from her increasingly unbearable bloodlust, just enough to give her some of her higher reasoning back. She could hear people talking and working, she could hear food being cooked and children playing as well as the sound of swords clashing. It sounded a lot more normal than Ruby would have imagined a Vampire clan to sound like.

The trio crossed the forest's threshold, stepping from the dense woods into a large clearing filled with rustic buildings and many villagers of various ages, faunus, human and Vampire living together, only distinguishable by the distinctive crimson eyes of the Vampire race. As they approached however, the bustle of the daily life of the villagers were interrupted and all eyes were on them. More specifically… on Ruby.

"Word still gets around as fast as ever I see." Qrow shrugged, his hands tucked into his pockets and his flask at his side frustratingly empty.

"A newcomer is rare enough but even Master Calister couldn't resist meeting the hybrid you're responsible for." Raven spoke in utter disregard for Ruby's presence, never turning to look at the nervous girl nor did her gaze meet the eyes of any of the curious villagers. Instead, her vision was focused forward to the largest and most central home in the village that they were walking towards with her guidance.

 _The hybrid… I don't really like that. Until a few days ago I thought I was human, I thought Qrow was my uncle, Yang was my sister and Vampires didn't exist, I didn't know what a Slayer was or what was special about my Silver Eyes. Everything is changing so fast… but it's not, I'm just learning the truth that was always there I guess. Still, I'm not a hybrid or whatever, I'm Ruby and Vampire or not, I'm still me… aren't I?_ That doubt that had been festering in her heart was only growing as grew more comfortable with being a Vampire. _I nearly bled Weiss dry, I nearly killed her and all I could think of was how good it tasted, how close and connected I felt to her. I drank her blood and almost lost control and still, all I can think of is how I want more of her blood, more of her. I don't feel bad, even though I should._

"Huh?" Ruby was pulled from her head by a strong, rough hand grabbing her wrist. At both her sides, Raven and Qrow were kneeling and looking up, Raven stoic and Qrow nervous and wary. A quick scan around her showed that the entirety of the village seemed to have congregated around them, watching from a short distance away with curiosity and some with amusement as their eyes met Ruby's who was apparently silly for standing up. When she turned around, she realized why.

"So, this is the Vampire/Slayer, the child of Summer Rose and our disgraced Qrow Branwen." A deep and dominating voice spoke out, projecting over the crowd from the steps above them. It was a large, muscular man covered in scars. He had hair as black as night that flowed down nearly to his ankles a good two meters in length at least. His crimson eyes seemed to glow with an intensity that made Ruby kneel without even knowing why. He had a well maintained but long beard that was made uneven by a scar along the left side of his face. Heavy metal soled boots echoed off the wood as he walked slowly down the wooden steps, his red and black armor on his chest and abs shined in the sunlight as well as the manacle on his right arm that was otherwise bare save for his scars.

"Tell me young Rose, what's your name?" He came to a stop, towering over them, easily taller than Yatsuhashi, but still, his smile wasn't threatening or forced, rather it was amiable while his voice softened to address the child before him.

"R-Ruby. My name is Ruby Rose." Her instincts, she wasn't sure if they were her Vampire instincts or not, but her heart was compelling her to give this man fear and reverence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Calister Et Mors Rubrum, patriarch of the Rubrum Clan." He gave a gracious and suave bow, his eyes never leaving Ruby's even for a moment. "You know, you look so much like your mother, even with your fangs and crimson stained silvers."

"You knew my mom?!" Her fears and apprehension melted away to wonder and curiosity as she looked up at him from her kneeling position on the dirt.

"I did. Qrow brought her here when he found out that she was pregnant with you. She was strong willed and fierce woman but also incredibly compassionate and understanding. It took some getting used to but I respected her, that's a rare thing from an outsider." His eyes were distant with nostalgia as was his smile. Ruby could tell her mother definitely left an impression on him.

"Thank you…" A fond, wistful smile pulled at her lips with a bittersweet melancholy. "She passed away when I was little so I don't remember her very well. Dad doesn't talk about her much… no one does. It makes me happy to hear the things you said about her."

"Even your personality reminds me of her in a small way." A huff of laughter left his lips. "When was the last time you fed?"

"On my partner back at Beacon, three-ish days ago." Without even realizing it, she began pressing her tongue into the tip of her fang, the slight pain stopping her before she could draw blood, but his actions didn't go unnoticed by the patriarch.

"That's quite a lot of time to go without feeding for a young Vampire. One of our acolytes has already agreed to feed you. After that Raven will show you to your new quarters." His own smile brightened as he saw Ruby's face take on a look of relief and immense gratitude.

"You mean I can stay?!" She was beaming, all her anxiety was gone and now she finally felt like she wasn't a threat to everyone around her. _And I don't feel so alone._

"This is your home now. It won't be the easiest life but I think in time, you'll come to like it here." With a warm and friendly grin he extended his hand down the Ruby, offering it to her, watching as she looked tentatively at it for a moment before gingerly putting her comparatively tiny hand in his.

"Heh-heh, I was pretty scared but you're really nice! Thanks for letting me stay, I don't know what I'd do if I had to go back. I want to learn about being a Vampire so… I really appreciate it." She felt his very strong and rough hand pull her up with effortless ease, hoisting her onto her feet.

"You're a very honest girl, just like Summer." He gave a firm shake of her hand before letting it go and then… his expression darkened with cold and sorrow as his gaze moved to the man still kneeling behind her. "However, Qrow was banished and our laws are clear. He may not return home. Raven will be your mentor and guide here, she'll take you under her wing, you couldn't be in more capable hands."

"But-"

"Don't worry kid." Qrow interjected, standing up before Ruby's caring got her on the wrong side of Calister. "I knew this was how it would be. Raven is a good teacher, I'm sure she'll warm up to you now that you're part of the family."

"Qrow…" She turned to face the man that had been her uncle her entire life and her father for just a few days and despite the glistening in her crimson and silver eyes, he smirked the same cocksure, laidback way he always did.

"You've got a lot ahead of you but don't think I won't still be watching over you. Your dad would kill me if I let anything happen to you." With a chuckle Qrow turned away, his cape flowing behind him in the light, warm breeze. He wasn't sure if anyone could hear but as a long, pain filled sigh left his lungs he transformed into a crow… and flew away while he could still bring himself to do so.

"Bye Uncle Qrow… I'll see you again. I know I will."


	4. Belonging

"Man that sucked!" Sun gave an indignant huff looking equal parts irritated and exhausted as he and Neptune walked through the courtyard of Beacon still sluggish from their very early flight back home, arriving by mid morning with almost no sleep.

"You're the one that chose that mission." Neptune shrugged, his hands interlocked comfortably behind his head as they walked.

"Only Professor Port could turn a search and destroy mission into a snooze fest." When he blinked he could swear he could still hear Port's ceaseless lecturing and posturing every waking moment they weren't in battle. _Maybe that was his way of making us more eager to fight._

"And you're the one that wanted to transfer here to Beacon to be with your girlfriends." Neptune's voice held a decidedly neutral and dismissive tone. They had all voted as a team to transfer to Beacon but he wasn't exactly sympathetic to the guy complaining about lectures. _Not when he has not one but two hot girlfriends._

"Hey, we all decided as a team. Vale is awesome and the school is great, so we have a couple weird teachers, most of our missions aren't that bad." He wouldn't admit it but Sun always felt bad for uprooting his team. _I was the one that asked to come here, I hate feeling like I pressured everyone but me Blake and Yang have been pretty serious for a while._

"We wouldn't have even had to deal with Professor Port if it weren't for you getting into trouble. We're third years, we don't need a huntsman supervising us anymore. It was just a punishment that you got that we all had to deal with." Neptune wasn't mad at Sun but he didn't exactly enjoy their mission either so he had to give him a hard time.

"Like I kept trying to tell Ms. Goodwitch, team RWBY got pretty messed up from their last mission. Yang was having trouble sleeping, I wasn't sneaking into their dorm in the middle of the night, I was just checking on my girlfriends." With a resigned sigh he deflated, realizing that it wasn't very compelling when hearing himself say it out loud.

"If Yang and Blake didn't set the record straight we probably would have had it a lot worse." Neptune couldn't help but imagine how bad it could have been if RWBY hadn't intervened for them. _We got off with a slap on the wrist. We only transferred here at the start of this year, unlike Sun, I'm not cool with always getting into trouble._

"I still don't see why I had to sign all that paperwork, and they made Yang and Blake do it too while Ruby was still recovering. I feel like an ass dragging them into that but apparently our relationship is officially on Beacon's record so that's kinda cool." He kicked a small pebble in the middle of the concrete path cutting through the grassy courtyard out of annoyance and anger, mostly directed at himself. "Whatever, all that matters is that we're back home and we can relax and get back to classes."

"Um, I think you have something to take care of first..." Neptune came to a slow stop, his hands falling to his side he motioned with a jerk of his head to the bench resting under the shade of a tall tree. Two familiar girls sat at the table in the shifting shadows of the leaves dancing in the warm wind, one with stunning blonde hair, her upper body draped over the wooden table like, her arms folded under her head for support while the girl next to her with black looked to them, to Sun, with sparkling amber eyes brimming with worry but also holding a glimmer of relief at seeing her boyfriend home safe.

"Hey, things seem pretty heavy here. I'll catch up with you later okay?" His tone grew soft as worry filled his heart, he couldn't take his eyes off of Blake or Yang as the cat faunus got up, leaving Yang's side as she walked up to him.

"Yeah, I'll help Sage and Scarlet unpack back in the dorm." With a half absent nod Sun agreed, barely hearing what he was saying, only getting a gentle hand patting his shoulder as Neptune left as confirmation as to what he was pretty sure he heard.

"Sounds good…" Something was definitely wrong, he could just feel it, the stress and anxiety in the air and Blake's demeanor told him that something was very wrong. "Babe what's wrong?"

"I'm glad you're home." Blake fell against his bare, muscular chest, putting her arms around his back, holding him him tight, her cat ears twitching on top of her head tickling Sun's chin.

"I'm glad I'm home too." A soft smile pulled at his lips as he returned the embrace, holding her tight while he rested his chin between her cat ears, her silky soft hair smelling like coconut and honey from her shampoo.

"Something happened… well, a lot happened. Yang's not handling it well." Despite the immense warmth and almost overwhelming feeling of safety Blake felt in his arms, concern for her girlfriend forced her to pull away, looking back to Yang who hadn't moved an inch, even with the arrival of their boyfriend.

"What happened?" His worry was only growing by the moment as Blake looked back at him with a defeated look.

"She should tell you." Giving a heavy sigh she took his hand in hers and guided him over to the the table where Yang lay, her long hair disheveled and unkempt as it sprawled out over her back and head. Her breaths were steady but labored, he could feel her stress in every exhale and even as they stood over her, she didn't move.

"Hey, what's going on?" Sun stepped up beside her, burying his hand in her long hair to get to her back that he tenderly stroked, feeling her muscles relax at his touch.

"What's going on?" Yang's voice was little more than a tired and weak growl as she slowly forced herself to sit up. Even Sun back away when he beheld her exhausted and dull crimson eyes glaring up at him as tears pooled on their surface.

"Well let's see, first I find out that Ruby Isn't human or faunus but that she's actually a half Vampire half Slayer or something, then I learn that she's not really my sister but actually my cousin because Uncle Qrow is actually her dad and that he's a Vampire too. Then Ruby leaves because she nearly killed Weiss drinking her blood and now she's off at some Vampire village with Qrow and who knows when she'll be coming back so we lost our leader. Oh, and to top it all off I find out- hah-hah, I find out that I'm a Vampire too! I'm a Vampire but my mom did something to me after I was born and that's why I'm not like Ruby! That's why she left me! Because she didn't let me be a Vampire!" She was trembling and huffing for breath as rage consumed her, her head was ringing with pain and she was dead tired but with everything she had learned, all she could do was grit her teeth in rage and pour it all out on the only people she knew would take it.

"I- I was only gone a week… wasn't I?" That was a tsunami of information even he was having a hard time digesting, he couldn't imagine how hard it must be for Yang.

"It's been a rough week." With a shaky breath Yang expelled her rage as much as she could and weakly stood up, forcing her eyes to stay crimson as she had been forcing herself to do since she learned of her lineage. She was pale and thin and worn out, Sun at once wanted to yell at her for not taking care of herself and hold her and tell her everything would be okay… but Yang didn't give him the chance as she collapsed against him, her nearly dead weight almost throwing him off balance as he caught her. "I'm happy you're home… I missed you."

"I wish I could have been here this whole time. Sorry I couldn't be with you when you really needed me." Carefully Sun picked her up until he was holding her bridal style. She looked like she was minutes away from falling asleep and as he mind lulled from the comfort she felt, her eyes cooled back to a soft lilac.

"It's okay… Blake took good care of me." Yang gave a long, satisfying yawn as she stretched in his arms while he carried her over to the big tree, sitting them both down at its base while Blake took up his side, cradling Yang's head in her arms. "It just not the same without you both."

"Yeah, I hear you, it's just right when the three of us are together." Sun smiled fondly down at her while he leaned against Blake at his side. _Suddenly, I'm feeling pretty tired too._

"The light feels nice on my ears but the shade is good too." Blake hummed in contentment, a purr beginning to work its way up her throat. "Yang barely slept at all since Ruby left and you just got back from a mission. Maybe a nap isn't the worst idea."

"You've been taking care of our girlfriend this whole time, you could probably use a nap yourself." He rested his head against hers and soon, he felt Yang's breathing soften and her body go limp as sleep took her over, her head resting comfortably in Blake's lap.

"Maybe that's not the worst idea…" Those damn yawns were contagious as one force its way past Blake's lips, her body shifting slightly to not disturb the girl slumbering her lap. She found a comfortable position resting her head against Sun's shoulder while his arm wrapped around her back, holding her as her eyes fluttered shut. As the minutes passed, Blake soon joined their girlfriend, falling into an easy and comfortable sleep, a light snore telling him that she was bad need to sleep herself.

 _These two, they were so worried they forgot to take care of themselves_. A soft laugh died on the gentle wind as his eyes grew heavier and heavier. _Human, Faunus, Vampire, it doesn't matter. We love each other, that's all I care about._

With that final thought bringing a smile to his lips, his body relaxed as he gave into the soft pull of sleep, ferried there by the warmth and softness of his lovers around him. There they all slept, asleep together under the tree, close and warm and content, their troubles behind them as they rested blissfully and unabashed… even as someone watched them sleep.

"It must be nice." A soft and forlorn voice whispered to herself as she leaned against the brick wall of the school. Weiss Schnee watched her teammates and friends sleep peacefully together but all she could feel was an emptiness in her heart that had only grown stronger after giving the one she loved some of her own blood.

 _The bite healed way faster than it should have and after I woke up I felt better than ever. The whole experience was amazing and I miss it… I miss her. I can't believe Ruby would just leave us- leave me like that. I mean, sure, she did go a little overboard when she… when she fed from me._ Recalling their extremely intimate but ephemeral moment together burned her cheeks with a hot pink tint that and made her heart race as her chest filled with a pleasurable heat. _She still should have stayed. We could have worked it out as a team like we always have… I would mind letting her feed from me again while she gets control over it._

"It felt good didn't it?" An irritatingly familiar and snarky voice snuffed out the blissful fire that was filling her veins, her cheeks cooling back to their normal color as she turned to face the drunkard.

"Qrow, where is Ruby? If you're here then-"

"Sorry Ice Queen, Ruby is still with my old clan but I got kicked out." With a resigned shrug he took a gulp from his flask, leaning against the wall, his eyes drifting past Weiss to the three young lovers asleep underneath the tree.

"So you just left her there!?" Rage flared in her chest as she took a stomping step forward, baring her teeth at the dust old Qrow. "How do you know she's safe!? How will you know if she's okay? What if she needs us!? Does her Scroll have reception out there!? What about her weapon?! Crescent Rose is still in repair so how will she defend herself!?"

"Calm down kid before you give yourself an aneurysm." Qrow's indifference and attitude was doing nothing for Weiss' irritation.

"Fine. Then at least tell me… when will she be coming home?" Once she calmed herself down she realized she wasn't going to get much out of Qrow, their clan was obviously secretive.

"Honestly, I don't know." He didn't want to admit that… _But she obviously cares about Ruby, she at least deserves that much._

"They'll keep her there for a while, at least until she proves her usefulness and loyalty. She'll get stronger there and over time, she'll get used to her new life. I hate to say this but there's a chance she won't want to come back. My family, my clan, they can be brutal if they want to be, but they have a thing for family. Once they fully accept her, she may find that she wants to stay with her own kind." He holstered his flask at his side and put his hands into his pockets as he looked down at the rapidly ever more broken look on Weiss' face. _Just like Raven. I see that in Ruby, I think she'll come to feel at home with our clan and she'll want to give up everything else. Best prepare Ice Queen for that possibility now so she doesn't end up like Tai when Raven left._

"But I'm her partner! I- I love her! It doesn't matter to me if she's a Vampire or whatever she is, I just want her!" What Qrow said hadn't even happened yet, it was only what he believed was a possibility but even so… Weiss could feel her heart breaking like fragile ice.

"When we were on the train, I told her she might be living there for a while. She asked me to give you this when I went back to Beacon." After a moment of rummaging around in his pocket he pulled something out, something held concealed in his fist as he extended it out to Weiss.

"What is it?" She barely mumbled as she cupped her hands together, holding them out under Qrow's fist before he dropped its contents into her palms. A decent sized ruby suspended from a thin gold chain connected to an earring… _One of the ones I gave her…_

"I'm sorry, but I think that means she wants you to hold onto it to remember her. She knows she'll be away for a while. She might never come back." He never wanted that life for her, he never wanted her to be a Vampire… _But life doesn't give a rat's ass what we want._

 _Ruby…_ Her delicate hands closed gently around the piece of jewelry as she brought them up to her lips, her warm, trembling breath washing over her fingers as her eyes shut tight, squeezing tears from their corners that glistened in the light of the sun. _I don't believe that. I refuse to believe that. I know you, this is your way of saying we'll be together again soon. Two halves belong together, the two earrings and us, as partners and friends and everything else we are to each other… we belong together. I'll see you soon. I know I will._

* * *

"Hey Ruby, good morning!" A chipper and happy voice carried through the small village as a young man with brown eyes and brown hair with a long, bushy fox tail in a hoodie with the sleeves cut off waved down the young woman walking towards him.

"Hey Alan, morning!" Ruby smiled back, unabashed by her fangs that showed with her grin as she came to a stop beside him, sitting atop a wooden barrel outside of his master's house. "How are you doing?"

"I'm really good actually. Just got a letter from my little sister saying she's entering Beacon soon and that she'll come by to visit when she can." He looked so proud and so happy, he was shining with happiness for his sister, his normally dark brown eyes sparkled with amber and olive green in the early morning light.

"Aww! That's so exciting! I remember my first days at Beacon, I'm sure Krystal will do great from everything you've told me! I can't wait to meet her!" Her beaming was as bright as the sun and her cheeks were rosy and her crimson rimmed silver eyes sparkled with warmth and happiness as she exchanged words with her friend.

"She's really skilled, she's not like her big brother, she can really make something of herself. Even Callister saw that and let her leave with special permission. I couldn't more proud of my little sister." His gaze fell to the dusty ground and his grin softened to a wistful half smile as he kicked at the dirt.

"You really miss her don't you?" It was written all over his face, worry and love and pride and just a hint of sadness. She'd only been in the Rubrum clan for a couple of days but she'd made a few friends and acolyte Alan Skye was her closest friend so far.

"Yeah, but I know she'll be alright. Still, I can't help but worry." With a heavy heart and a heavy sigh he jumped to his feet, looking around the waking town. People were already starting their morning routines; hanging laundry, cooking breakfast for the acolytes and vassals, morning feeding for the Vampires of the clan. It seemed weird to Ruby at first but everyone seemed really happy. _I'm happy here too, it's nice. I don't feel dangerous anymore._

"I have friends and my big sister back in Beacon, once Krystal is in I'll tell my old team to look out for her and tell her that her brother says hi and to do her best!" She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave an affirming nod while she gave a warm grin.

"Thank you Ruby, I'd really appreciate that." He gave a small bow and a thankful smile as Ruby let her hand fall back to her side. "Hey, if you haven't fed today yet let me feed you, it's the least I could do."

"That would be great actually! I'm really hungry." Ruby blushed as she bashfully rubbed the back of her head, her smirk exposing her fangs that were now aching almost pleasantly in anticipation.

"No one else has fed from me today so you gave have as much as you need." He said it so nonchalantly as he held up his wrist for her. _I guess that's just how people are when they grow up here. I kinda like it, it's nice, on one is afraid of Vampires here and everyone is nice and accepting._

"I'll try not to take too much, I still have to leave enough for you and anyone else who needs you." Even as she spoke she licked her fangs in preparation, putting one hand under his wrist, holding it to her lips as he looked down at her, watching with an unfailing smile.

Ruby took in a deep breath… and then began. She opened her mouth, her razor sharp fangs gliding across his skin until they found the best vein to tap before biting down, effortlessly cutting through his skin and fat before puncturing the desired vessel. When she pulled her fangs back blood gushed up like a spring in the desert. A deep sense of warmth permeated her entire body as she thirstily lapped up his vital fluid, the taste was unique for every person and his was gentle and sweet that mingled nicely with the distinctive taste of blood that she knew as a human, only much much deeper. Her tongue pulled open the small wounds, coaxing out more blood that she happily savored and swallowed. She could feel his pulse, his life, his aura in every heartbeat that expelled his blood into her. However, Ruby had gotten better at gauging the blood levels left in her donor and she was better able to control how to cut herself off thanks to Raven's instruction. So finally, just as she began to lose herself in his blood, she forced herself to pull away.

"Your blood is really good! I can see why you're popular!" Ruby giggled as she tenderly licked the blood trickling from his wounds, her saliva now acting as a clotting agent, stopping the bleeding as well as accelerating the healing.

"I'm glad you like it, come back for dinner and I'll probably have more for you." For him, Ruby's bite was one of the nicest in the village. It was more gentle than most or rather, it lacked the intensity some had. He liked both but he enjoyed feeding the young Vampires, though most would stay away from that job because of the physical demand.

"Ruby." A cool and and ever so slightly fretful voice stole their attention, both bringing their gaze to the woman that had walked up behind Ruby.

"Lady Raven, good morning." Alan bowed more properly and respectfully than he had with Ruby.

"If she's done feeding I need to speak with my apprentice. Would you mind giving us a moment Alan?" Raven gave him an almost playful smirk as she walked up to them, glancing at the fresh wounds on his wrist.

"Of course. I'll see you both later." With one more subtle bow Alan backed away waving to Ruby as he strolled through the town, looking for chores to help with as he usually did. _This is his home and this is his family. It might be weird how things work here but everything just seems right._

"Ruby, we need to talk about something important." Her tone grew colder and more serious, but still she held a note of pride in her voice as she put her hands to Ruby's shoulders and looked deep into her crimson and silver eyes.

"What's wrong?" Ruby's mind went immediately to the worst places. _Did I do something wrong?_

"As you know, my Semblance is foresight or precognition, I get visions of the future. Early this morning I had a vision, one that I've already shared with Callister. In two week's time, two powerful warriors will come here, mercenaries hired to do our family harm. We can stop them but in this vision it was you and I fighting them one on one. So, in preparation of that, you will be taking your rite of passage earlier than expected." Ruby still couldn't tell by her tone of voice if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I don't have my weapon and I'm not very strong without it so I don't know how much use I'll be." Yang had trained her in hand to hand but she wasn't like her sister, she wasn't a powerhouse.

"After your rite of passage, you will be." Raven looked serious and intense, even more than usual and that made Ruby worry.

"Um, what exactly is my rite of passage?" After a brief pause, Raven sighed softly, letting her hands fall from Ruby, her expression and demeanor softening.

"Tomorrow night, you will be given your trial to find your familiar."


	5. Family and Familiar

_"_ _Purity is our strength._

 _With righteousness we stand separate from the world mired in corruption._

 _With eyes of silver we purge the darkness in our sights._

 _We are truth and light, rending falsehood and restoring order._

 _With our power we pledge to protect those who cannot protect themselves for the impurities that plague the world._

 _Purity is our Strength,_

 _Light is our virtue_

 _and_

 _Silver is our birthright."_

Blake stared at those words, reading them over and over again as she carefully cradled the dusty old tome in her hands, staring down at the decrepit pages leafed with gold on its edges. It was a book they found in the restricted section of the library and were only able to take out with special permission. Though she wasn't a stranger to visiting the restricted section, Blake had never seen this particular tome which they found covered in dust way in the back of the vault. A pre great war encyclopedia of ancient myths.

"Wanna fill me in on what's going on?" Sun leaned over to his girlfriend, whispering in her cat ear as he looked worried to their girlfriend marching in front of them, her eyes set ablaze with crimson from the moment she stood up in the library and stormed off without a word leaving her lovers to follow.

"It's some sort of mantra or oath connected to the silver eyed Slayers." As they trio made their way from the library towards the main building in which Ozpin's office was located, Blake had looked through the book as quickly as possible. She found references to Vampires, multiple pages full… _But this mantra and a small description is all the entire library seemed to have on silver eyed Slayers._

"Why would that get Yang all worked up like this?" Sun furrowed his brow, concerned by the brawler's behavior. She hadn't been the same since Ruby left, Blake told him as much but ever since he returned, she was obsessed with her Vampire lineage.

"I honestly don't know but this is definitely what she was looking at." She was angry at herself, nothing she did seemed to console the woman she loved. Yang had experienced the most massive life changes she had ever seen in a very short time. It was a violent upheaval that began with Ruby passing out in their bathroom from drinking her own blood and ended with Ruby leaving, Yang discovering that her sister is really her cousin and that neither of them are human. _I just wish there was more I could do to help…_

"Purity is our strength? What does that even mean?" He was having a hard time making sense of any of this. Aside from her pretty dramatic change in personality, lack of sleep, exhaustion and depression, Yang still seemed like Yang to him, this Vampire stuff just didn't make sense.

"A lot of ancient myths around silver regard it for its purity, maybe that's where the Slayers got it or maybe the myths came about because of the Slayers. It's impossible to say with so little to go on." With a heavy sigh Blake carefully lowered the book and looked to the back of her girlfriend, her long blonde hair glowing as her Semblance flared, heat radiating off of her in waves just from what she had read in that verse.

"Well do you have any idea why we're heading to Ozpin's office?" He didn't even know what Yang wanted, she had barely been talking to them but neither could leave her alone. It was obvious she was hurting and needed them, but they were sure what exactly they could do to make it better.

"Obviously Yang thinks he knows something relevant. He's as good a place as any to start, then possibly Professor Oobleck since he is a historian. After that, our leads may dry up unless we take a trip to the other Academies and check out their libraries, they might have more than Beacon." She wasn't sure exactly what they would look for. Initially, she suggested doing research on Vampires in the hopes that it might make Yang feel better, but now something about the Silver Eyes verse was now at the forefront of Yang's mind.

"You know I'll do whatever it takes but I think before we go any further, we need to have a talk with her. She going to burn herself out at this rate." They'd all known each other for years and have been dating a triad for longer than any other relationship he's ever had and in all that time he had never seen Yang get like this. _I mean, I understand, I don't know how I'd hold up if I was told that my entire life was a lie but that doesn't make this any easier on us and she's only getting more distant. If Ruby were here we could ask her for advice, she's known Yang a lot longer than we have. Still, Yang is our girlfriend and we're going to get her through this._

"I agree but not right now, she needs to cool down before she'll listen to us. Let's let her blow off some steam at Ozpin before we try to talk to her." She knew Yang, no matter how angry she got she wouldn't do anything to get expelled and she would bet money that Ozpin would be understanding.

"You know I can hear everything you two are saying right?" Yang's voice suddenly snapped the two students behind them to attention, both looking up at her nervously as they came to a stop in front of the elevator leading to Ozpin's office. Yang's once balled fists relaxed at her sides and with a long breath, she eased up her semblance, letting her eyes cool to lilac though she never turned to face her lovers.

"We'll talk after this… I promise." With that, she raised her hand up and pressed the button while her other hand nestled inside the tight pocket of her tattered jeans. "I know I've been difficult but thank you, for sticking with me."

"You really think we'd up and leave you when you're like this? Nah, you couldn't get rid of us if you tried." Sun gave that bright and playful grin that they loved as he wrapped one arm around Blake, pulling her into his side by her torso. "We've got your back, no matter what."

"You don't know how much that means to me, especially now." A long, anxiety filled exhale left her lungs as the elevator door opened. As she stepped into the elevator, her lovers did was well and that pain and emptiness in her heart that she had felt since Ruby left, felt filled again, just a little, by the warm, safe, pure feeling of true love. Even though it still hurt, even though she still couldn't quite process everything she had learned, as Blake and Sun each too up her sides, both taking her hands in theirs, she couldn't help but smile.

"We're going to do whatever we can to help." Blake's cat ears flicked with happiness as her fingers entwined with Yangs. She'd never know just how immense such a simple touch could feel. It was pure safety and security in her grasp. _I wonder if it feels this way for both of them?_

"Whatever you decide to do, we'll support you." Sun's hand held Yang's tight, letting her know that he wouldn't let her go, that he was right there for her. They stood, the three of them in a row, hands held against the anguish they felt. He knew in his heart that the three of them were perfect together, each of them supporting the others. _As long as it's the three of us, we'll make it through anything._

 **Ding!**

They had arrived and before the door could open Yang pulled her hands from her lovers' and stepped forward, her Semblance igniting and her eyes scorching crimson. She knew the toll that keeping up her Semblance for hours on end was taking on her, but she also knew that crimson eyes were the hallmark of being a Vampire. So, despite the exhaustion and fatigue that wore all the way down to her soul, she kept pushing herself, those crimson eyes were the only proof of what she really was.

"Ms. Xiao Long, Ms. Belladonna, Mr. Wukong, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Ozpin sat at his desk with his elbows resting on the wooden surface, his hands clasped together over his chin as he leaned slightly forward, his brown eyes looking warily from Yang to the old tome in Blake's hands.

"You knew about me and Ruby didn't you?" With a shaky inhale Yang walked forward, her gaze never faltering from his as she approached his desk. "You knew about Qrow and my mom, you knew Ruby and I weren't really sisters. You knew what we really are."

"I only knew that you were a Vampire like your mother and that Ruby was a Slayer like her mother. No one expected her to be a latent hybrid." The calm in Yang's voice contrasted with the pain in her burning eyes and even Ozpin was unsure of what such an unstable and powerful soon to be Huntress would do. By his side Glynda stepped slightly forward, ready to intervene should it become necessary.

"Do you know what Raven did to me?" Her fists and jaw clenched as she took another step forward, now only the desk separated her from the Headmaster.

"Only what Qrow told me and even he didn't know exactly how she sealed away your Vampire nature." With a soft sigh he let his arms rest comfortably on his desk while he leaned forward. "What did you find in the library?"

"There wasn't much on Vampires, maybe ten pages in total spread across three different books but what I found for the Slayers was only one short verse in the entire library." Her exhaustion won out and her Semblance died down, cooling her eyes back done to lilac once again, showing the deep sadness in their gentle color.

"Purity is our strength. Yes, I'm afraid there isn't much left of their existence even as stories or anecdotes in history books. The Slayers are even more scarce today than the Vampires." The tension in the room gave way to an uneasy calm as Blake and Sun took up her sides, all looking expectantly at Ozpin with hope and worry in their eyes.

"From what I understand, in ancient times, before humans or faunus discovered Dust, the Grimm still hunted us and we were powerless fend them off. However, two races existed that could fight the Grimm and protect those who could not. They were the Crimson Eyed Vampires and the Silver Eyed Slayers. Both possessed incredible power, the Vampires were power incarnate and could fight even the strongest of Grimm at the cost of the blood of Humans and Faunus which many were happy to give to their saviors. The Slayers were purity incarnate and could destroy Grimm, which they saw as corrupt beings, with merely a look. It was said that the two races were amiable for a very long time, but shortly before the discovery of Dust, the Vampires and the Slayers went to war… and neither side won." He could only shake his head at the waste of power and potential that the was cost the world. He didn't know their reasons, but that the would could use more of both Vampires and Slayers. _Now more than ever._

"Purity incarnate, with the power to rend falsehood and restore order." Yang's voice was cold and soft as she put her hands on his desk, looking into his eyes with conviction and pain. "I'm a Vampire, but something was done to me to take that away. I'm not like I should be. A Silver Eyed Slayer, they could remove that, couldn't they?"

"I'm unsure as the the true extent of their power, but I believe they could." His thoughts turned to Summer Rose, a powerful Slayer with knowledge of her heritage. He wished she were still alive to help her children through these trying times.

"How many Slayers are there left?" Blake's grip tightened around the old, leather bound book as she spoke, looking from Ozpin to her girlfriend, hoping there was something they could learn that would help Yang where she and Sun couldn't.

"Not many." His sorrowful admission came with a long sigh as he looked to Blake. "There are hundreds of Vampires but I've only ever known three Slayers, two being Ruby and her mother Summer."

"And the third?" Yang's voice came as a low, impatient growl as she struggled use her Semblance, her aura nearly depleted from the constant use.

"The third is a man, a very dangerous man I would advise you not to seek out." There were few people in the world Ozpin considered truly dangerous and that man was among the most powerful of them.

"Well… I'm pretty dangerous myself." Her rage was like a spark igniting her Semblance, waves of heat rolled off of her and her eyes burned a deep crimson as she slowly raised her head, her Vampiric eyes meeting Ozpin's with fury and indomitable will. "Who is he?"

"Alexandrite Crowley." Ozpin stood up, looking down at the stunted Vampire with pity and worry, but still, her conviction never faltered. "I've only met him once before and I would prefer to keep it at that. He's a self proclaimed expert on Silver Eyed Slayers though so perhaps he can give you what you're seeking. However, do think very carefully before you decide to look for him, he is not someone to trifle with."

"Thank you." Without another word, Yang stood up straight, letting her hands rest at her sides once again… and walked away towards the elevator, Sun and Blake sharing a worried glance before following along.

 _Alexandrite Crowley… I'm going to find you you're going to make me a Vampire!_

* * *

"Ouch…" A frustrated whine filled her room as she lay in bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling, licking at her aching fangs with her tongue, trying to distract them from the pain. She had been with the clan for days and she was settling in almost disconcertingly fast. She lived in a small two bedroom home with Raven and while the house wasn't anything special from looking at it, Ruby felt at home there. She shared a bedroom with Raven, both sleeping on mats on the floor instead of a mattress, still, it wasn't uncomfortable.

Raven was a strict mentor, Ruby was always woken up at the crack of dawn and put to work cleaning the house and running errands for her around the village before she would be allowed to feed. Still, she had come to respect Raven, she was tough and could be hard on her, but Ruby had no doubt that her mentor cared for her. _Everything here just feels right to me. Maybe it's because I'm Vampire but something just feels like this is the way I'm supposed to live._

'I've fed on someone several times a day since I've been here and it's felt great, always having someone's blood to drink when I need it has made me feel stronger and more connected to everyone I feed from and it makes me feel right.' She licked at her fangs, running her tongue very carefully over the tip of her surgically sharp tooth as it throbbed with pain, begging to bite into someone. _But ever since I was told I'd be getting my familiar I haven't been allowed to feed at all and it's driving me crazy! It feels so wrong not feeding… I don't like it but if Raven says I have to, then I'll listen._

"Still, I can't wait until this is over." Ruby grumbled as she rolled onto her side, facing an antique mirror screwed into the wall. Their room was minimally decorated, a Grimm mask hung from the wall along something Ruby didn't expect to see when she first started living with the then cold and distant Raven; A copy of Yang's birth certificate, framed and encased in glass and wood. A dressed lined the wall her feet pointed towards, her clothes were mixed in with Raven's because the Oracle of the Rubrum Clan was actually pretty lazy about chores, leaving Ruby to pick up the slack. Still, she didn't mind, especially since Raven never seemed to mind her borrowing her clothes from time to time.

"I can't believe how much has changed." Her attention was focused on the crimson surrounding the silver in her eyes. Something that had been a constant her entire life had changed overnight and now it felt so natural, just like her fangs. _And now, if I'm understanding this right, I'm about to merge my soul with an animal's so it can become my familiar. Everything is changing so fast but… I'm kinda excited._

 **Knock-knock!**

The tepid, light banging, almost nervously reserved echoed through the small house, making Ruby sit up in her bed, the thick, warm blankets falling from her chest into her lap. She was wearing a combination of her and Raven's clothes, keeping her cape while wearing her mentor's black and red robe with no sleeves with a black sash tied around her belly. At her waist she wore a pair of short, tight black shorts with semi-transparent chiffon hanging around it like a skirt down to her knees. She had blood red stockings coming up to her mid thigh, all accentuated by the single ruby earring hanging from her right ear, dangling on a thin gold chain given to her by her partner.

"I guess it's time…" She forced her tired body up, being deprived of blood left her feeling sluggish a little heavier than she was used to. She knelt down beside her bed and quickly fixed the blankets, making them neat and tight beside an equally well made mat right beside hers that Raven slept in. _She's powerful and beautiful but she's not the best at keeping her room clean… I guess that's where Yang gets it._

With a smile she got to her feet and opened the sliding paper and wood door that led out from the bedroom, walking into the larger living room, a rarely used kitchen sat was at the other end of the living room and the spare bedroom was parallel to the front door. It was largely empty save for a couple picture frames on the walls and trophies from battles and hunts. The entire town was powered by a large Dust Generator so they had electricity but as far from the kingdoms as they were, there wasn't much reception for Scrolls to make calls. It was isolating at first but now she kind of liked it, being so far away from everything made her feel closer to the things and people that were nearby.

"Alright, I'm read to… oh!" As Ruby opened the door, expecting to see her mentor and roommate, she was instead greeted by a young man with a bush brown fox tail that swayed gently back and forth. His shadow was cast into her home by the light of the setting sun behind him. "Alan! Hi, I um, I wasn't expecting you."

"Probably waiting on Lady Raven right?" He grinned, pulling his hands from his jean pockets, the sleeves of his baggy hoodie rolled up, leaving his forearms bare and exposed. Immediately Ruby found her eyes drawn to those big blue veins, she could almost hear his blood rushing in his body and it made her fangs beg to be plunged through his skin.

"Yeah…" She was barely focused on what he was saying as her hunger grew, she didn't even realize she was licking at her fangs and lips while she stared at his arm.

"Heh-heh, something on your mind Ruby?" Alan snorted a laugh, stepping back slightly as his tail swished against the ground and his eyes looking bashfully away from the girl before him.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you I just haven't fed since yesterday and I'm really hungry and-"

"Pfff, Ruby, you know I've been living with Vampires my entire life right?" Alan leaned against the doorframe, smirking playfully as he forced himself to meet Ruby's stunning and beautiful Crimson and Silver eyes.

"R-right… I guess you're less new to this than I am. I didn't even know Vampires existed until I was one." She blushed, feeling her bloodlust give way to a gentle sense of comfort talking to her only friend in the clan. "It's been hard for me to get used to in some ways."

"I'm just an acolyte, my sister and I were born with this clan and we've always been comfortable around the Vampires. I mean, we grew up with them, some of them are childhood friends so the way things work here is just what's normal for us. I've never even left the village and Krystal is about to start at Beacon, most acolytes don't leave so this is what we always consider home." His smirk turned into a wistful and fond smile as his gaze turned up, looking at nothing but the distance. Ruby could tell his sister meant the world to him, she actually thought it was cute how he always talked about her and worried about her, it reminded Ruby of herself and Yang.

"That makes sense. I mean, I like it here but I've lived here for all of about a week so I'm still getting used to everything." Her shoulders slumped and her expression turned downcast as the ache in her fangs grew. _I had a hard time finding a place to fit in a Beacon, if I'm being honest, it took me a long time to really feel at home there. Now I'm here and things are just so much more close knit and I have to feed off of people who are strangers to me, they just give me their blood, something that keeps them alive, just because I'm a Vampire._

"Hey, don't look like that, it doesn't suit you." A warm but surprisingly strong hand held her shoulder, snapping her out of her spiraling thoughts, pulling her gaze to his. "I know everyone in town, I talk to people and I listen. People are liking you being here, they say Raven has lightened up since you've arrived and they're right. They like you, I like you, you're part of our family so don't worry so much, just be yourself."

"Thank you." Even though she still had a little residual anxiety left, she still found herself smiling and feeling her thirst for blood becoming nearly unbearable the longer he touched her. She felt something, a feeling in her chest that was at once pleasantly warm and burning hot as she looked into his big brown eyes. "That's good advice, I'll do that."

"Good, I'm happy to hear that." With an affirming nod he let his hand fall from her shoulder, the warmth of his touch lingering on her skin for seconds after before it was lost to her own body heat. Suddenly, his demeanor changed, he raised his shoulders slightly and tucked his head just a little as he looked nervously at the floor. "Um… you know, no one has fed from me today and you might not get to feed again for a while."

"Alan… are you saying-Hmph! Um... " An awkwardly held back smile brightened her face as she barely forced down snorts of laughter, her gaze now looking decidedly at something just behind Alan that she gestured to with a quick nod of her head while she covered her mouth with her hand, already on the verge of bursting out with laughter.

"Wha- Ah! Lady Raven!" Alan whipped around, his tail raising up along with every strand of fur on it as he turned and faced the smirking Vampire, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

"Alan, were you trying to tempt my protege into breaking the rules?" She stepped forward and he stepped back, his tail brushing softly against Ruby's legs.

"What? Me? No I would never do something let that, heh-heh…" Ruby couldn't help but laugh at how terrible a liar he was.

"Hmm, so you say. Well, if you know anyone who has any such ideas, do let them know that I'll see it coming before they do so it wouldn't be smart to try again." Raven smiled, intentionally baring her fangs as her crimson eyes burned into his and with every inch she advanced he retreated.

"W-will do Ma'am!" He laughed it off awkwardly, looking to Ruby for backup but all he was another snort of laughter from her.

"Good. Now, if you're done corrupting my niece, I'd like to have a word with her alone." Raven relaxed, smiling more casually as she stepped aside, giving him space to walk out.

"Of course! I'll see you after your trial Ruby! Good luck!" And with that and a timid smile at Raven, he took his leave, walking down the dirt path through the village.

"Alan has always been a handful, I don't envy Iris, it's her job to look after the acolytes including him. He was much easier to manage with his sister keeping him in line." She shook her head while smiling before facing her niece. "What do you think of him by the way?"

"Of Alan? I don't know, he's really nice and funny." The question seemed very much out of nowhere to Ruby, catching her off guard. "His blood tastes really good and he's easy to talk to."

"You know, there's an old saying about Vampires?" Raven's smiled softened as she folded her arms over her chest, leaning her back against the door frame. "It's said that Vampires are greedy creatures. I believe it, we take what we desire, it's in our nature."

"I don't really get what you mean but I guess I could see that, I mean, Yang's always kinda been that way." She wasn't even sure she knew what she was talking about but she didn't want to argue with Raven and somehow, in her heart, those words seemed to echo with some truth.

"I heard my daughter has two lovers. Taking multiple mates is very common with Vampires as having more Vassals is beneficial for us on many levels." She looked back over to Alan as he turned the corner, disappearing behind a house.

"So you do keep up with what's happening to Yang." Ruby grinned, but she already knew. She knew Raven still loved her daughter the moment she saw Yang's birth certificate hanging up on her wall.

"I might not be a good parent but I do like to know what's going on in her life." Raven's voice turned cold as she reached for her belt, pulling out a sizable knife, razor sharp on its edge with serrations on its back, a solid black handle with a good grip was fixed to the blade held between her fingers with the hilt extended to Ruby.

"Your trial is about to begin. The forest is massive, stretching between the kingdoms and the animals out there can get far larger than the ones closer to civilization. There are Grimm and natural dangers and you will be staying out there alone until you find your familiar." Raven watched Ruby's expression harden as she gently took the knife from her hands, examining the blade, her crimson and silver eyes burning with conviction.

"What will my familiar be?" She looked up inquisitively at her aunt, tilting her head slightly as she held the knife down at her side.

"That's something you'll find out when you see it." Ruby wasn't the first to ask for a clairvoyant sneak peek at their Familiar and she wouldn't be the last, she had come to enjoy dangling the answer just out of reach.

"Aw come on! I know you can see the future! Can't I at least get a hint!?" She pouted, her big endearing eyes sparkling with mock sadness and pleading as she looked up to her mentor.

"Of course I know what it is and it's a good one, oh if only you could see it." Raven put her hands up dismissively as she shrugged her shoulders, grinning the entire time. "It's too bad you have to wait, I know you'll like it."

"You evil you know that?" She knew better than to keep letting Raven play with her, she wasn't going to get anywhere. All she could do was laugh along side her and give up.

"Hey, I have to have fun somehow." Her mentor giggled along with her niece, but as their laughter subsided, she gave a soft sigh and stepped off from the doorframe, putting both hands on Ruby shoulders, looking into her unique eyes with hard seriousness. "Ruby, you could be out there for a long time. After a few days without blood, your body will start to experience mortal hunger again, when that happens, you'll need to forage and hunt to survive. It's going to be dangerous, but I know you can make it back."

"I will." There was no doubt in her heart as she gave an assuring and firm nod to her mentor. _I will come back, because this is my home, and they're going to need me… and I need them._


	6. Foreboding

_I miss Bumblebee sometimes…_ Yang's fatigued and exhausted mind couldn't help but wander as she navigated the roads, forcing herself over and over into alertness while struggling to keep her eyes crimson. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel tight as eased into a turn, weaving through the traffic in her much more bulky vehicle than her old motorcycle. Still, as she merged into the next lane over and came into an even pace with the cars behind her and in front of her, she let her eyes drift from the road, for just moment, to the girl sitting in the seat beside her. Yang couldn't help but smile seeing those big cat ears twitch on the top of her head as the wind rushed in from outside through her cracked window and the way those striking amber eyes reflected every building in their sight as Blake stared absently out the window, lost to her imagination. Another quick glance up to her rear-view mirror only strengthened the smile on her face, brightening her eyes and cooling them back down to a soft lilac as her gaze met Sun's, his bright and playful grin mingled with a hint of relief to see his girlfriend looking happier.

 _I miss Bumblebee sometimes, but I'm glad we got an SUV. I like making room in my life for them, it's nice, us going in on this piece of crap together. It's ours, the three of us, Blake hates driving and Sun just hasn't bothered to get his license but I don't mind doing all the driving for them._ She brought her attention back to the road, feeling that deep, happy warmth in her chest coupled with the powerful, almost overwhelming desire to reach out and hold them, both of them, and tell them just how much they meant to her. _I've been acting pretty crazy lately. I'm selfish for worrying them… I need to talk to them after this, apologize for everything. They're too good to be putting up with this, but all they ever do is support me anyway despite how messed up I can be. They deserve better._

It was a hard day for them after returning from Ozpin's office, Yang never did have that talk with her lovers that she promised. Her focus was solely and very obsessively on finding Crowley, they combed through every resource they had from the internet to combing through the entire library again, they found two references on an Alexandrite Crowley online and nothing in the entire library about him. _One reference to an academic lecture at a university in Mistral on ancient mythology and another saying he was accused of kidnapping but was let go because of a lack of evidence. If he's as dangerous as Ozpin says then he probably has connections in the underworld._

"You know, as much as I love having the backseat to myself I'd love to have the front sometime." Sun leaned forward, putting his head between the seats trying to lighten the mood.

"Maybe call shotgun faster and you'd get it." Blake smirked, resting her head in her hand with her elbow propped against the base of the window as she looked to their boyfriend. "Or you could learn to drive and give Yang a break."

"Hey, I don't see you taking the wheel for her either and it's not my fault, you never look like you're about to call shotgun!" Blake's pokerface was indomitable, he never knew when she was gonna call shotgun because she always seemed so indifferent. _Mr. Xiao Long never hosted another poker night with us after Blake cleaned him and Qrow out… and me and Yang. It stung less for us because we have a savings account together but it was still painful._

"Neither of you need to drive, I like driving us all around." She couldn't handle everything that was happening if she were alone. Just having her lovers playfully bickering eased the tension and stress in her heart. "But maybe you should learn to call shotgun as soon as we go out, she gets you every time, you think you'd catch on by now."

"Ah it's not a big deal, I mean, it's kinda nice being able to stretch my legs back here." He shrugged it off, sitting up a little more, his trademark grin never fading. "Hey, it's the weekend, why don't we do something fun after this?"

"You know, that actually sounds good, I think we could all use some downtime with everything that's happened." Blake was thinking of suggesting something but she usually went along with Sun or Yang's idea of fun, enjoying whatever they planned. Her idea of fun was spending quiet time at home or in the library… _but with them, I get to have so much more, I get to have a lot of experiences I wouldn't make myself have otherwise._

"Honestly, I could use a break." She hated to admit it, she hated feeling like she was falling apart, but with Sun and Blake, she also liked having vulnerability, she could be honest with them when she was hurting. "Hey… why don't we take the whole weekend to ourselves? Get a hotel in Vale, just have fun, enjoy the nightlife. It's been a while since we've been able to spend the night together, I'd like to have you both without worrying about the school getting in our way."

"Hmm, I like that idea." Blake's cat ears were standing erect on her head and she wore the most intoxicating and tempting grin, that playfully flirtatious look in her eyes making Yang want to pull over and take her and Sun to the nearest hotel right then and there.

"Now we're talking! I'll text Neptune and tell him we'll be 'busy'." He was nearly bursting with happiness and excitement, he was actually working towards suggesting something like that before Yang beat him to it. _Am I the luckiest guy in the world or what? I mean, look at these two! Sorry Neptune but I've got to take care of my girlfriends tonight!_

"Thank you both for putting up with me… I know I've been pretty crazy since Ruby left." A regret filled sigh escaped her lips as their car slowed down, turning down a narrow side street to get to their destination. _I really need them tonight, depending on what we're about to find out I might not handle it so well. Just a couple days with the guy and girl I love, forgetting about Slayers and Vampires, Ruby, Qrow my mom. I just want to be close to them, Sun and Blake, the ones that matter most right now._

"We're not putting up with you, we're helping you do what you need to do. Like I said, you couldn't get rid of us if you tried, otherwise we'd just be worrying the whole time and come to find you anyway." He leaned forward once more, this time unbuckling his seatbelt as he moved between his girlfriends, smiling reassuringly at Yang before giving her a gentle but loving kiss on her warm, soft cheek. "You don't need to feel bad, we're right where we want to be."

"He's right." Blake reached over and carefully eased one of Yang's hands from the steering wheel into her own, holding it tenderly but firmly as she smiled at her lover. "We won't leave you. We love you and we're going to stay by your side."

"Thank you…" Her hand squeezed Blake's tight as her lip quivered, all the exhaustion she had been staving off, all of the emotions she'd been holding back, the breakdown she had been fighting off, she felt like all of it was only the slightest provocation away for the last two weeks since Ruby left Beacon. With a shaky breath she pulled into the parking lot and parked in the closest spot she could find. Her lilac eyes glistened with tears as she weakly let her body fall to the side, her head coming to rest against Sun's who wrapped his arm around her while Blake undid her seatbelt and clasped both of her hands around Yang's before pressing her side up against Sun's, together, the three of them, uncomfortable in a cramped little SUV… but none of them wanted it to end.

"The guy we're going to see, he and I aren't exactly friendly. We won't get a warm welcome when we go in… I don't suppose I could convince you both to stay in here while I deal with it? I know they're nothing you both couldn't handle but I- I just couldn't forgive myself if either of you got hurt because I'm obsessing over this." Her eyes dulled and her smile grew wistful as she looked down to her lap, Sun's short blonde hair tickling her face as she kept herself pressed up against him, feeling his warmth and being comforted by the touch of her lovers.

"Haven't you been listening? We're seeing this through with you no matter where it leads." Blake's voice was hard and firm but there was no denying the tough love behind her words.

"But I have to ask… why do you want to be a Vampire so bad? I mean, I know it's kind of a shock finding out that you were never human in the first place but from what you both told me, Ruby was in pretty bad shape before Qrow took her. Are you really sure drinking blood and whatever else Vampires do is right for you? What if you have to go away like Ruby? Weiss wasn't able to go with so why would we be able to?" It had been bothering him for a while, but he wasn't going to put all that stress on Yang when she was already on the brink, but now, with her doing something dangerous and wanting to do it alone, he felt he had to speak up.

"I've been thinking a lot about all of that." With a heavy sigh she pulled herself from her boyfriend's side, feeling the warm he left on her fade away as she sat up, looking to the blue sky above. "I've been searching for my mom my whole life. Why did she leave me? Why didn't she want me? Why couldn't she take me with her? Why hasn't she ever tried to meet me? Why wasn't I good enough? Why wasn't our family good enough? I've been thinking like that since I was a child. Now I know that she's a Vampire, so is Qrow, so is my… cousin, Ruby. I'm one of them, I'm a Vampire, but Raven did something to me when I was born and now, I can't even be with Ruby because what she did. I'm losing my family because she locked away what I really am. If there's any way for me to feel like I'm who I'm supposed to be, it's with Alexandrite Crowley."

"I understand and we want to help, but please, take it from us," Blake took Yang's attention, her eyes deep and empathetic and shimmering with the most intense caring and love as she looked into her lover's eyes. "What you are has no bearing on who you are. You'll always been Yang, and that's just the way we like you. You might think being a Vampire will give you some big life change, and maybe it will, but it won't fix your problems. After all… your mom still abandoned you. That will always hurt. I just don't want you to get your hopes up, I don't want you to get hurt for this if you think it'll make everything better."

"I know. I know all of that but I have to try. Ever since I found out that I'm a Vampire, ever since I saw Ruby… with her fangs and crimson eyes, I just can't stop feeling like there's something very wrong with the way I am. I need this, and I need you both, even if it sounds crazy, this is something I have to do." From the moment Ruby bared her fangs at them, when Yang saw those crimson rimmed silver eyes like blood stained steel, it was like it imprinted something within her, something that told her, reminded her every waking moment that something was wrong with her. _I am a Vampire. I need to make things right. The power of the Silver Eyed Slayers is purity, they can get rid of whatever Raven did to me._

"Alright, then let's get going." It was so easy, there was nothing else to it. For Sun, all he needed to know was that it was something Yang needed to do and he would be with her through it. That's how they were, all of them together helped each other. They all had their issues but as long as they were together, they were better off than any of them alone.

"We'll see this through to the end and no matter what happens, we'll support you." With that, Blake pulled her hand from Yang's, her fingers taking in every subtlety of her smooth skin as they dragged across her hand.

"Alright, let's knock some heads." With a thankful nod and still on the verge of thankful tears Yang slipped on her gauntlets, the Ember Celica, while Sun and Blake checked their ammo and readied their weapons. If she was being honest, she was looking forward to throwing down with some cannon fodder. So, with a confident smirk, she opened the door, followed out quickly by her lovers as they walked towards the rath innocuous building with large double doors at its front. It was still daylight so there weren't many other people there but she knew that the person she was looking for was inside getting ready for the night.

"Knock… knock!"

 **Booom!**

The doors exploded open with powerful blast of her gauntlet, a rush of heat and force that sent a shockwave through the ground and into the nightclub as the trio walked in through the cloud of smoke with the tall blonde with burning crimson eyes in the lead and her lovers on both sides behind her. They strutted in with swagger and confidence, their power dominating and uncompromising as they entered the establishment. Guns were drawn instantly by the goons hired to protect the place, dozens of weapons aimed at them, but the three merely stood over them with cool confidence, ready for a fight.

"No! Nobody shoot!" A tall man dressed like a bartender with black hair that flowed down into a beard and mustache stepped forward, adjusting his red tie as his cannon fodder lowered their weapons. "Blondie, you're back…"

"So sweet of you to remember me." She wasn't smiling, she was cocky, she was intense and focused solely on her goal as she walked up to him.

"Hard to forget the girl the blew up my club, even if it was years ago. You look good." He was awkward, uncomfortable and eyeing Sun and Blake warily, both giving him intensely spiteful glares at what they perceived as an attempt to hit on their lover.

"Last time I was here, I asked for your help finding someone. Now, I'm going to ask you to help me find someone else. This time, if you don't help me… I'm burning this whole place to the ground." She wouldn't, she was still a Huntress and she was not a monster, but she certainly looked and sounded like one with those blood red eyes and the dark tone that permeated her voice.

"Yeah, you might not want to piss her off, she's not in a good mood." Sun smirked as he walked over to Junior's side while Blake took his other side, partially unsheathing the blade at her back while she walked calmly towards him.

"Okay okay! Just tell me who they are and I'll see what I can do." He put his hands up, looking back and forth to the young Huntsman and Huntress before turning a pleading gaze to the glaring crimson eyes staring directly at him.

"Alexandrite Crowley. He has Silver Eyes, he's dangerous, he's hard to find and he has something I need." Yang stepped forward, bringing her face only inches from his as she stared up at him.

"I- I'm sorry! I don't know anything about him." That admission didn't go over well. Instantly he felt an intense and terrifyingly familiar waves of heat rush off of Yang as her hair glowed with golden light and her her aura flared with devastating intensity.

"Wait! I may know someone who can help! You say this guy is dangerous, well Roman Torchwick has been dealing with some dangerous people lately. He might be able to help!" Junior backed away in a fearful sweat, gulping down his fright while Yang kept stepping closer with each step he took away.

"Roman Torchwick… the crime boss? You think he might have some connection to Crowley?" Her voice was cold and dark, so much so that she also lost her composure holding back a laugh.

"I think he's the best chance you've got!" His back hit the bar, he was out of room to retreat. "I swear, that's all I've got!"

"Where can I find him?!" She stomped her foot and flared her aura, loosing a wave of searing heat from her body as she bared her teeth at him.

"You didn't hear it from me but… rumor has it that he's working out of a warehouse in the slums." He knew crossing Torchwick was a bad idea, but right now, he had a more pressing threat. "Now please, just leave, we have to open soon."

"Fine!" With a bitter huff Yang did an about-face and marched off, walking right between Sun and Blake before giving a soft exhale and letting her aura cool along with her eyes. With a soft smile they none of them could see, she reached down and took their hands in hers, and together, the three of them made their way to the exit. _Roman Torchwick… I guess that's where we'll have to go next. But for now, I did promise my boyfriend and girlfriend a good time, we'll get a cheap hotel and just enjoy the rest of the weekend._

* * *

 _I'm alone again…_ With a heavy sigh Weiss let her upper body fall weakly onto the picnic table, the rough wood warmed by the sunlight broken up by the leaves in the tree above her as they swayed in the gentle wind. Her pale blue eyes were dulled with depression as she rested her head atop her folded arms, her fingers almost instinctively playing with the earring on her left ear, feeling the cool blood red gem in its center suspended off of a thin gold chain. One of a matching set that she had given to someone very precious to her, someone she fought alongside and protected for years.

 _I wonder how she's doing right now? Ruby is a dolt, she struggles with being sociable, she's awkward, she's too trusting and sweet. She's living with strangers that even Qrow admitted he hadn't seen in a long time, how am I supposed to trust that Ruby will be safe with them? She's my leader and my partner! It's my responsibility to keep her safe!_ Her eyes burned with passion and impotent rage while she continued to gently fondle the gem hanging from her ear. However, soon a soft blush tinted her cheek and her expression grew flustered and embarrassed as the memory of a light sting to the underside of her arm sent a strange feeling that was at once uncomfortably hot and pleasingly pleasurable through her stomach. _E-even if protecting her means giving her my blood. If this is what Ruby is, it's not her fault and I would have supported her. I love her… I wish I got to tell her that before she left._

"She'll come back, I know she will." It didn't matter what Qrow said, Ruby wouldn't just abandon them, Ruby wouldn't leave and never come back. In her heart she knew that her leader would come back to them. _And maybe then… everything could go back to normal._

 _It's been two weeks since Ruby withdrew from Beacon, she's officially no longer a student here anymore. Apparently Ozpin offered her immediate reinstatement if she chooses to return but even he sounded dubious about the possibility of her coming back. Still, he's not her partner, I am. I know she'll come back to us._ Even though she felt that to be true, her heart still ached not having Ruby by her side.

 _Ruby's gone, I've seen Yang pretty much since the day Ruby left, she's even blowing off her classes now. I have no idea what's going on with her but all Blake would tell me is that there was something Yang needed to do. Since then she's been off with Yang and Sun doing whatever it is they're doing. Our team is falling apart, at least it seems like Yang is doing something and Blake gets to be with the ones she loves… but what does that leave me with? No team, no friends… no Ruby._ Suddenly, knowing that she would return wasn't feeling like much of a consolation as the cold grip of loneliness bit into her heart. It was a feeling she'd almost forgotten, since she arrived at Beacon, since joining Team RWBY, she had felt at home in a way she had never imagined. _And now, that's all falling apart…_

"Hmm, you seem like you're having a bad day. Mind if I join you?" An almost disturbingly chipper and happy voice, one completely unfamiliar to Weiss stole her from her thoughts. She sat up and twisted her body to the source of the voice that stood behind her.

"Are you… one of the new students?" Weiss was… off put, by the small girl that stood smiling amiably before her. She had her arms folded behind her back, her big, soft purple eyes glistened playfully in the sunlight as she looked down at Weiss.

"No, I'm just visiting." She smirked, for a moment it looked like she was trying very hard to hold back a laugh. Weiss was sure she'd never seen this strange girl before, she would have been hard to miss. The visitor had shoulder length apple red hair tied in a braid on one side just in front of her ear, she was tiny, shorter than Weiss and she was dressed in… rather little, a strip of purple cloth tied around her chest with a white denim vest unbuttoned that hung halfway down her torso. At her hips she wore matching white shorts tied with a chain around waist and white and purple sneakers on her feet.

"Where's your visitor's pass then?" Weiss narrowed her eyes at the supposed visitor. She wasn't she why but something just felt very off about her and it was very quickly putting her on edge.

"Oh, you're so suspicious, I like that." Her overly bright smile faded to a more natural grin as she reached into her vest's breast pocket, pulling out a small laminated badge. "So, you're a student here?"

"Yes, I am." She was still on edge but the more genuine and natural look to the visitor's face and her more relaxed demeanor put her at ease a little bit.

"It's a nice school, I never went to any of the academies but I'm sure they do a good enough job to keep the Kingdom safe. Still, I bet the people who survive outside the safety of the Kingdoms for their entire lives are even better." Her smirk grew challenging and playful, almost like she was really wanting to pick a fight as she walked around the bench keeping those big purple eyes on Weiss the entire time.

"That may be… who did you say you were again?" Weiss found herself instinctively reaching for her waist as the visitor came to a stop on the opposite side of the table, only to remember that her weapon was tucked away in her locker.

"I didn't." The sound of steel rattled as she brought her arms forward, long chains were wrapped around her wrists and forearms and dangling from the ends of the chains inches from her wrists were two karambits, curved knives held in fist designed for slashing punches as they were held in fist. "But my name is Thistle, Thistle Tsvetok. What about you?"

"I'm Weiss Schnee… but somehow I get the feeling that you already know that." Without her weapon, all she could do was wait and see how things played out, however, again she found herself playing with Ruby's earring out of nervousness but still her hard and cold gaze never faltered from Thistle's.

"Of course, you're the famous heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, third year Huntress in training here at Beacon, member of Team RWBY and a model student." Thistle smiled as she took a seat across from Weiss, sitting down so casually as though the heiress wasn't a threat to her in the slightest.

"That's a little creepy. What is it that you want?" Now she was really wishing she had her team, her instincts were telling her that the girl in front of her was beyond dangerous.

"What do I want?" Thistle rested her head in her hand, propping it up with her elbow against the table as she sighed, her cheek squished in by her palm. "That's a beautiful earring. Where's the pretty girl that gave it to you? I assume she has the other one?"

"Ruby..." Weiss immediately lost her sense of fear as an immense desire to protect her leader took over her mind as she bared her teeth at Thistle.

"Hey, I don't love this you know. I saw her picture, she's really cute, it's a shame she's the target but we have a job to do." Thistle groaned, letting her arm fall limply back to the table. "If it makes you feel any better our employer asked us to take her alive. Made me feel a little better but I'm guess my chances of getting with her are probably non existent after I hand her over huh? This is a hard life, you should feel lucky you get to learn in such a comfortable place where you don't have to make hard decisions."

"What do you want with her!? Who hired you!? Who are you really!?" Weiss shot up from her seat, one hand supporting her body as she loomed over the small girl who seemed completely unfazed by her attempt at intimidation.

"I work for a very dangerous man and apparently he's taking a job from another very dangerous man, one who wants Ruby for whatever reason. We weren't given too many details but something about Vampires and Silver Eyes. Honestly it was all a bit over my head." With a shrug she dismissed her idle curiosity, shaking her head lightly to bring her focus back. "So, can you tell me more about her or not? Like what weapon she uses, her strengths and weaknesses, her fighting style, maybe what kind of flowers she likes…"

"You're crazy! I won't let you take Ruby!" Weiss roared in defiance, her hand shooting down to her waist, grabbing her scroll from her small bag before opening it up, ready to dial in the code for her locker. Once she had her weapon, she'd get real answers from her.

"Please stop giving my sister a hard time." A very bored and tired voice practically sighed with every word as man joined them at the table. He was tall and muscular with the same apple red hair though cut far shorter and soft purple eyes as Thistle. He wore a bulletproof vest and camo cargo pants with a purple bandanna tied around his neck. At his hips were two holstered high caliber pistols with knife like bayonets below the barrel.

"Vitali!" Thistle beamed at the arrival of who appeared to be her older brother. "Shouldn't you be looking for that old drunk? I can handle Weiss."

"Yeah well, I can't find him and honestly, you kinda just suck at this. You're unbeatable in a fight but you don't have an ounce of subtlety in your body. I guess I was right, she looks like she wants to kill you." Vitali looked from his sister to Weiss, his bored and tired expression unchanging in the face her immense hostility. "We should probably go, I don't think we'll be getting anything from her now."

"Fine, but subtlety is overrated." The younger sibling huffed indignantly, folding her arms over her chest as she got up.

"Of course you would." Vitali shook his head as he spoke in one long sigh, exasperated by his little sister's lack of restraint and finesse. "Your Semblance really suits you."

"Hey! Neither of you are leaving until-" Weiss was abruptly cut off as Vitali turned a hard and unnervingly dangerous glare at her right before her Scroll was ripped out of her hand and slammed into the table. Try as she might, she couldn't pry it from the wood and it had fallen as though it was glued there in an instant.

"What did you- Gah!" Weiss wasn't even sure what had happened by the time she managed to refill her lungs after getting the air knocked from them. It felt like some powerful and invisible force snapped her into the tree like a rubber band with enough force to nearly knock her unconscious.

"And you say I have a problem with Subtly." Thistle chuckled, elbowing her older brother in his side.

"This is all your fault you know? You're the one that wanted to come here to get extra information on this girl, I didn't think we needed to take the risk. Whatever, let's get going, our target isn't going to capture herself." Stuffing his hands into his pockets he began walking away, the moment his eyes left Weiss she felt the near crushing force pulling her into the tree fade away, letting her collapse to the ground panting for breath.

Weiss looked up from her position on the ground, hands and knees in the grass while she watched the two dangerous visitors walk away. _I- I have to find Qrow and warn Ruby!_


	7. The Sanguine Wolf Part 1

A bead of sweat rolled down lightly tanned skin, falling from a furrowed brow before dripping into crimson and silver eyes that burned with conviction even as her sweat stung as it mingled with her tears. Even so, she kept going through the oppressive heat, breeze so humid and hot wrapped around her that it felt suffocating, but still, her hand kept moving, and her knife with it, making the tiny notch in the tall, dried out sapling that she had cut down in the days prior. It was rough and barely made, but it was good for at least one shot. Her fingers ached and she was sure she was getting blisters, but she wouldn't lose momentum. Her cuts were precise, digging a deeper and deeper groove into the end of the slightly bent wooden shaft.

The late day sun beamed down through the dense canopy, shifting with the swaying leaves but still adding a layer of excessive heat onto the hard working hybrid Vampire. Her outfit was trimmed down for the extended stay in the wilderness before she left the village. Ruby now wore dark grey cargo pants, her usual combat boots and a green tank top with a red hoodie for warmth courtesy of her mentor that she tied around her waist. She was given very little to survive, aside from the knife, she got a fire striker and a canteen of water that clipped to her thick leather belt. Even so, despite the practical nature of her outfit, she kept one thing that stood out midst the trees and dirt; a small ruby earring dangling from her right ear by a thin gold chain.

 _Finally finished!_ With a heavy sigh of relief Ruby relaxed her tight grip around her fixed blade knife, blowing away the small shavings of wood left in the notch. With a tired but bright and satisfied smile she gripped onto the end of the sapling, pulling down on it with just enough for to begin to bend it, testing its resistance and integrity. Her smile though, was short lived as the wind began to die, static white noise ebbed, giving way to the sound of the forest, the chirping of birds and the movements of animals on the ground. A deep and permeating discomfort and sadness bit at her heart as it had been doing since she first felt the pangs of mortal hunger as Raven said she would. Her eyes dulled with sorrow as they turned up to the clear blue sky above, her expression softening with wistful melancholy as her mind began to wander. _I- I need to do this. For Raven and Alan and Calister and everyone back in the village… and for Weiss, Yang and Blake. They're expecting me to come home, those mercenaries will be attacking my clan soon and I need to be ready to help. I know all that but… I still don't want to do this._

With a deep breath Ruby slowly got down on one knee, letting her half finished bow fall to the leaf littered ground while she sheathed her knife at her side and reached for her boot. Her calloused and worn down fingers maneuvered the shoelace through the holes, weaving it out of her boot. Her ears were sharp and kept guard over her in place of her occupied eyes. She didn't notice it in the village but sense of hearing had become more acute since turning and feeding regularly, she couldn't help but wonder how it stacked up to Blake's.

 _It's been five days… I think. I thought that first night without blood would be the hardest but I'm so hungry now, it feels like I haven't eaten in- oh… I guess I've only been feeding on blood since I turned. Which means I haven't actually eaten in weeks. I never even missed food, blood just tastes and feels so much better but now I'm like any other starving person, all I can think about is food._ With a painful growl of her stomach compelling her to hurry Ruby pulled her lace free, the well fitting boot still held snugly around her foot as she pulled the long length of thread from it. Her muscles ached, begging for rest, her sore feet sent waves of pain up through her and her legs trembled in protest as she forced her body up. All she could do was grit her teeth and get to her feet, her face contorting as she fought with her own body, picking up the bow from the ground before using it to support some of her weight, taking the burden from her legs.

 _Come on, you can't give yet, just hang in there a little bit longer._ With a staggering step forward she widened her stance, stabilizing herself as much as she could. Her head felt light and fuzzy and she had never felt so weak and exhausted in her entire life. She didn't have much time and she knew it. She was in a losing battle with hunger and every second extra she gave it the more likely she was to succumb to its grasp. She gulped down what little saliva her parched mouth could spare and set to work. The wood resisted as she pushed her weight against it but ultimately, it gave her the few centimeters she needed. She moved as quickly as she could feeling her muscles grow weaker by the second. With a fluid motion of her hands and wrists she tied the string securely into the notch she had made, looping it around to pick up the excess slack before pulling the lace taut and flipping the bow, repeating the process on her first notch until the tension in the string was enough to keep the bow bent without her weight behind it.

 _Well, it's not pretty, Weiss would probably call it sloppy and Yang would laugh but it should still work._ There was a strange feeling of satisfaction, something powerful and intensely proud as she wiped the sweat from her brow and pulled back on the string, the wood bending to her strength as she drew the string back. One eye closed as she focused on where she imaged her arrow would fly and her breathing slowed, barely audible even to herself while her expression became cold and focused. _Yeah… this will work._

With a soft and subdued exhale she let her bow relax, the wood creaking ever so quietly as it returned to its most stable shape it could with the string holding it down. The bow was almost as tall as her and had enough draw strength to do what she needed it to do. As she let go of the string, holding the bow by the shaft she turned her gaze to a small, innocuous tree, the only thing distinguishing about it as the straight and thin length of wood resting at its base. Her steps were deliberately hushed as she made her way towards her arrow, delicately picking it up off the ground, the soft, pitch black feathers she had happened upon were perfect for fletching and the shaft of was as straight as she could make it.

 _That's all it takes huh…_ Her eyes dulled as she stared at the sharpened point of the arrow, her mind unable to stop itself from imagining what she was about to do. _T-there's nothing else I can do! I don't know what plants are edible and the longer I wait… I don't want to die out here and I can already feel the hunger making me weaker and weaker. If I don't do this now, I don't think I'll be physically capable. This would be easy for Blake. Yang might even have fun with this. Weiss would just do what she needed to do… but I don't want to hurt anyone. Animals aren't like Grimm, they have souls, they feel pain, they can be warm and compassionate and have love for their families._

Her jaw clenched as her thumb gently stroked the dry wooden tip, carefully pressing her thumb into the point until it hurt… and then just a little bit more. It didn't feel good and it wasn't even puncturing her skin. She could only imagine how much pain would come from what she intended to do and it made her want to vomit in disgust… or maybe the nausea was just from the ever gnawing hunger, she couldn't be sure. _I wish they were here. Maybe then I wouldn't feel so bad, but this has to be done. I have to do this alone and all of it, all their pain and their death will be on me._

 _I better get moving._ Giving a stressed release of her breath she pulled her thumb from the arrow's tip, her skin indented some by the pressure on the pad. With her arrow in one hand and her bow held in the other, Ruby forced her muscles to move, compelling them to take that first step forward deeper into the woods.

Even after being isolated for five days in the wilderness, she still felt in awe of the dense, untamed forest. The Grimm had rendered the space between the kingdoms largely uninhabitable, allowing the wilds to grow unhindered by society, untouched and pristine. It was likely that aside from the Vampires, no one had walked these woods in a very, very long time. The trees towered overhead taller than any she had ever seen before, the canopy was so dense in places that it blocked out the sun completely. She marveled at the beauty of nature without the hands of human and faunus to reign it in. The animals were wild and free and larger than their counterparts closer to the kingdoms. The birds sang more beautifully, the air was so clean and fresh it felt nothing like Vale or even Patch and even the colors seemed more vibrant.

 _I think I'm actually getting used to this. It was scary, sleeping alone in the woods for the first few nights but now I like finding a place to sleep where the canopy is open. I can fall asleep staring up at the stars, they're so much brighter than back in Vale and I can see so many more of them. I don't know how long it'll take me to find my Familiar but hopefully it won't be too much longer… I miss Raven and Alan and the rest of the clan._ She hadn't even know them a month and for most of her life Raven was just the mother who abandoned her sister and her dad. _Turns out, nothing about that is true. Yang isn't my sister and Taiyang isn't my father. Yang is my cousin and Qrow is my dad. It's still hard to wrap my head around. Raven didn't want to abandon Yang, she loves her, why else would she keep her birth certificate hanging up above her bed? She's been a good mentor to me and I can tell she cares… she probably would have been a good mother to Yang but the clan has rules and for some reason, those rules compelled Raven to leave and seal away Yang's Vampire nature._

 _I- I kinda wish that I grew up as a Vampire. I really like my new home, it hasn't been that long but I really feel like I belong there. When I was growing up Tai was a good dad but he was distant after losing Mom. Yang did her best and I didn't usually feel lonely but something was always missing, like there was some hole in my heart that nothing really fit into. Now, when I'm with my clan, when I'm home, when I'm working with everyone and having fun, knowing their names, seeing them smile when they see me, when the acolytes give me their blood, I know it's because they see me as family, I can taste it. The hole is gone now, with them, I'm really home… I want to get back to them soon. If Raven were here, she would tell me I need to be strong, that even if it's hard, I have to do what's best for me and our family._ She was pulled from her thoughts as she came to a slow stop beneath comparatively small tree with branches low enough to climb. Determination sparked in her eyes as she hung the bow over her shoulder, the arch of the bow at her back with the string resting across her chest. She put her arrow between her teeth, biting down gently into the wood while she stared up at the tree, her eyes darting from branch to branch, plotting her course. _Raven would want me to be strong, Raven wants me to come home. So I will._

She felt the presence of someone watching over her, someone who cared for her and wanted to see her succeed. She imaged her mentor watching her with pride as she grabbed onto the first branch, pushing past her weakness and hunger as she pulled herself up, her arms shaking to support her weight and her feet struggling to find their grip on the rough bark. Her palms were sore and she felt the wood biting into her blistered and calloused fingers but she fought through the pain, hoisting herself up until her knee came to rest atop the first branch, her hand steadying her against the trunk. Looking up, she could see her next target and without losing the small amount of momentum she had gained she got to her feet, her legs wobbling, nearly giving out and sending her falling back to the hard ground, but she caught herself, letting her body instead fall against the trunk instead, giving her weak legs a small reprieve.

Ruby caught her breath, she was only on the first branch but starvation had made her weaker than ever. Her body was shaking from the strain she was putting on it, but she knew she had to keep moving. Securing her footing on the thick base of the branch Ruby reached up to the branch directly overhead, wrapping her fingers around it and taking in a deep inhale as she bounced on her toes. At the height of her voice she pushed off and pulled up simultaneously, her muscles bulging and tensing as they bore her weight, pulling her halfway up as they seared with pain and exhaustion, shaking violently as she battled for every inch against gravity. Her clothes clung to her skin as sweat dripped from every pore, her teeth gritted painfully, her fangs bared and aching dully, almost unnoticeable amidst the pain and discomfort that her entire body was under. With one final, desperate pull she got her head above the branch and swung her arm over, her armpit and forearm holding her body up while she pulled herself onto the branch, panting heavily while she sat down, letting her pounding heart calm itself for just a moment.

Her head turned up, looking to the next branch. It wasn't that much higher up but there was a sizable gap. Her legs swung gently back and forth, trying to not let them rest completely so they would be ready for the next bout. Shakily Ruby forced herself up, leaning heavily against the trunk to keep herself steady despite her failing muscles while she kept her gaze very firmly fixed forward. She bent her knees, keeping one hand to stabilize herself on the trunk while she crouched, tensing her muscles and pouring all the strength she had into them then…

 **Whoosh!**

In a blur of red and rose petals Ruby launched herself upwards, boosting her jump with her Semblance, pushing her fatigue weakened aura to its limit before her upper body slammed hard and fast into the thick branch, knocking the air from her lungs. She could feel herself falling as gravity took her body while she gasped to reclaim her breath, her arms flailed wildly and by pure luck her hand caught the branch, gripping onto it for dear life, her fingers holding on as tight as they possibly could while her body came to a jarring stop with a sharp pain in her shoulder. There she dangled by just a hand from a not so insignificant fall, still she knew if she was hurt out in the wilderness hunting would be the least of her problems.

 _I can't fall! Come on! Just one more stupid branch!_ Her sweat threatened her grip almost as much as her crippling exhaustion. It was a struggle just to lift her other arm into the air to grab hold of the branch, giving her other arm some relief from the burden of her weight. Still, getting her grip was the easy part and she was out of strength, her arm muscles were now holding on by pure adrenaline but she was too worn out to lift her body up again no matter how much she struggled and with each failed attempt she could feel her grip getting weaker and weaker. _Okay… new plan._

With a breath she relaxed her body, only letting her fingers remain tensed around the only thing keeping her from falling. Her head turned to her side, towards the trunk of the tree and her eyes burned with fierce determination and conviction as she loosened her grip on one hand, easing it up just enough to slide it down towards the tree, inching it ever so carefully until her fingers clamped back down. Ruby move little by little, never looking down or up, focusing only on her goal and shutting out the pain, the fear, the emotional turmoil and the the exhaustion as she got closer and closer to the trunk. Even through everything, even dangling only two weak hands away from likely injury and probable death, something new burned inside her, a fury and passion that was unlike anything she had ever felt, a fire that raged in her heart, powerful and uncompromising as it flooded every vein in her body. It was beyond empowering, it was awe inspiring just how primal and intense and right it felt and she couldn't help but waste a little precious energy, grinning, baring her sharp fangs in the blissful inferno that consumed her entire being.

Suddenly, her body felt just a little bit lighter and her muscles a little bit stronger. It didn't matter, nothing mattered but her goal, surviving and getting past this obstacle. It wasn't merely her survival instinct compelling her, it was a sense of determination and ferocity like she had never felt. She didn't have to question it, she knew… _I will overcome this!_

Ruby started swinging her legs and body, rapidly moving her her hand to the other side, reorienting herself so she was facing the trunk that was less than her body length away. With each swing her legs went higher and higher up, building off the momentum and energy of the previous wing and each successive motion becoming easier and easier until the instant her soles touched the bark. Energy surged through her like a bolt of lightning! Ruby dug her toes into the wood and kicked off as hard as she could, rose petals bursting out from behind her feet as ran up the trunk giving herself the speed she needed to throw her lower body over the branch before locking her legs around it!

Her teeth bit down painfully, the rough bark of the branch biting into her palms, she was sure she was bleeding, but that didn't matter either. Ruby was huffing for breath, trying as hard as she could to suppress the sound while she struggled up the thick base of the branch, shaking and panting while slowly and carefully moving herself against the trunk, resting her upper body against it, a deviating, upward jutting branch thankfully supporting her back enough to where she could lean back without falling.

 _I finally made it…_ The longest and most satisfied sigh of relief she ever had left her lips as she reclined back into the deviating branch, the arrow falling from her teeth now with small grooves in it from her bite. Her head rested weakly against the trunk, suddenly feeling like the little safe spot halfway up the tree might not be the worst place in the world to fall asleep. An exhausted laugh left her parched throat, she was already struggling to keep her suddenly very heavy eyelids open, only the very prompt return of her hunger kept her from falling into the sweet embrace of sleep.

The woods were still beautiful, even though she wasn't too far off the forest floor, things looked different from her higher vantagepoint. She could see small animals scurrying about and the birds fluttering from branch to branch. The late day sunlight streamed through the leaves above bathing the forest in the most brilliant, awe striking green she had ever laid eyes upon at an angle that told her that sunset wasn't far away. Begrudgingly, she knew she didn't have much time, so she lifted her arms that felt like lead, pulling her bow from her back while carefully making sure her arrow stayed her her lap before resting the bow on top of it.

 _I guess now I just wait._ Her eyes looked down towards a trail she had staked out earlier in the day. Ruby barely remembered anything from her basic survival course that she had back at Beacon, they only took a few classes and she really didn't want to hear about the hunting parts. It was a voluntary class but Weiss convinced her to go. Still, she knew what a frequently trafficked trail looked like and she knew, sooner or later… _Those deer will come back, and for one of them… I guess this will be it._

Without the adrenaline or that passion for living burning away her every superfluous thought, those fears and doubts returned and her empathetic heart came into conflict with pragmatism and her own need for survival. Every aspect of what she was about to do made her sick to her stomach, she tried not to think about it but the turmoil in her mind was the only thing keeping her from feeling the pull of sleep.

 _Oh! I know!_ Ruby's big crimson stained silver eyes shot open with excitement as she carefully reached into one of the big pockets of her pants, lifting her knees up to make sure her bow and arrow stayed put. After a few moments of rummaging, she slowly pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, something Raven allowed her to bring with, giving her merely a shrug and saying that it didn't matter. Still, despite the possible disapproval of her mentor, she couldn't help but feel very happy to have brought it as she flipped it open and shakily put pen to paper.

 _"_ _Dear Yang, Blake and Sun;_

 _Hey, I'm sorry I haven't been in touch since I left. Kinda packed up in a hurry, Qrow said I had to and I didn't want to hurt anyone so I didn't really get to ask any question like if there was reception where we were going. Turns out… not really._

 _So, I'll be sending you this letter, I don't know when it will reach you, I'm kinda lost in the woods right now as I'm writing this but don't worry, I'll be okay. I actually kind of like it… it's peaceful out here but hard. It's only been five days but I feel different, like it's changing me for the better. Still, there's something I have to do and I don't like it… I don't want to but I'm alone with no food and I'm starving. I wish you were here Yang, I don't want to do this. I'm going to but it doesn't feel right._

 _Sorry, that's enough about me, I'm writing this right now to keep my mind off of that until my… prey shows up. I bet you all will have your own stories next time we see each other, I'm sorry I can't be there as your leader to help you through whatever hardships might come up, but I know you Yang, you're the strongest person I've ever known and you'll be okay._

 _I know what happened was a lot to take in, everything we learned about our family, ourselves and each other… it wasn't easy on me and I know it wasn't easy on you. Still, no matter what, Vampire, Slayer, Human, Faunus, it doesn't matter to me, it doesn't matter that Qrow is my father and that we're technically cousins. No matter what Yang, you will always be my sister and I love you._

 _Raven loves you too you know. She's a nice person, she's actually my mentor here, you and her have a lot in common, neither of you can keep your rooms clean. She can be strict and tough and a little cold but she's funny and caring and loyal to our clan. I really admire her. She didn't want to leave you, I want you to know that. Sealing away your Vampire nature wasn't something she wanted but the rules of our clan gave her no choice, someday I think you'll understand because I believe that you'll be who you were meant to be and you can come home to us._

 _Being a Vampire is great… I love it. I love drinking blood, it feels unlike anything I can really describe, it's like you and the person you're feeding from become one for a little bit, it's warm and it tastes like life itself, I actually haven't eaten in weeks but I didn't even feel hungry or miss it until about two or three days without blood! Our clan is really nice, I'm at home there and I- I consider them family._

 _There's so much more I want to tell you but I want to save some of it for when we meet again. Blake, Sun, you take care of her okay? You both know she has a knack for getting into trouble and jumping into things without thinking._

 _I love you and miss you all._

 _Sincerely; Ruby Rose."_

A bittersweet and wistful smile pulled at her lips, memories of fond times with her honorary sister played in her mind, from their childhood to their battles as a team in Beacon. She had faith that Yang would break the seal on her nature and then she would come live with her clan where she belonged… _and I know that would make Raven happy too._

With a gentle warmth in her heart she flipped the page, giving her a blank paper to write her next letter on.

 _"_ _Dear Taiyang;_

 _Hey Dad… I'm not really sure what to say. We haven't talked much since I left for Beacon and I know I didn't say anything when my Vampire half awakened and I left to join Raven's clan. I'm sorry but it all happened so suddenly and I was scared and confused and I was drinking blood and it was kinda crazy._

 _I hope Qrow explained what happened before you get this letter but just in case he doesn't…_

 _Dad; I know Qrow is my real father. I know Yang is actually my cousin. I know Mom and Qrow weren't human. I know my Silver Eyes mean that I'm part Slayer… and I'm also a Vampire._

 _Yeah, it was a lot to take in for me and Yang too. Still, I want you to know that I'm happy here, with Raven, in the Rubrum Clan. Things are right and I feel like I'm part of a big happy family, it's nice, we work, play, feed and live together. We rely on each other and we protect each other and family is the most important thing to us. It hasn't been long since I've been here but I really do feel like I'm part of the family, I belong there, it's my home._

 _I'm doing okay Dad. I miss you and I love you. Take care of Yang._

 _Forever your daughter; Ruby Rose."_

She could feel her lip quivering. So many feelings that she had pushed to the side, that had been buried by the happiness of her newfound family were now bubbling to the surface and her eyes grew haze with tears that she wiped away with her sweat soaked fist. It hurt, it hurt knowing how she left everyone but it didn't hurt anywhere near as bad as knowing… _That I'm happier here… with my clan._

With a trembling, pain laden breath she flipped the page, and put her pen down on the pristine sheet of paper.

 _"_ _Dear Weiss;_

 _Weiss… I miss you. I have a lot to say but that's the first thing I want you to read. I miss you so much that it hurts. My partner for years, my best friend, my rival and my greatest support and so much more, I miss you._

 _I'm doing good, I'm doing really good here. I'm happy, my clan is nice. I was scared at first, I didn't know what to expect and when I first arrived, my whole world was turned upside down after the news Qrow gave me after my Vampire half awoke. I was lost and confused but now I'm not confused anymore… and I'm the furthest from lost I've ever felt._

 _Well, maybe not right now, I'm kinda lost in a physical sense, I'm writing to you from a tree in the middle of the woods heh-heh. I've been out here for five days but the weather has been nice and they gave me a knife and I kinda just took this pad of paper with me. I'm not supposed to come back until I find my Familiar, I don't know what it will be but Raven kept teasing me about how cool it was. I hope I find it soon, I miss my bed and my home and my clan._

 _You know what? Now that I think about it, your blood is the first blood I tasted from another person! I know I kinda went overboard when I fed from you, I'm sorry about that, but I'm getting control of my thirst here. Still, it was an experience I'll never forget. I don't think I told you but your blood was really good, I can taste a lot in blood now, just from a little drop, but with the amount I drank from your vein, it's like you became part of me. I could taste everything from your health to your emotions. It made me really happy that me feeding from you felt so good for you too! Okay, I should stop talking about that now, it's making my fangs ache!_

 _Being a Vampire is weird but it's great. It's like every person whose blood I drink becomes a part of me while I'm feeding from them. Also, knowing what I am, that I'm part Slayer and Vampire, it makes me feel whole in a strange way. It was a scary change going from thinking I was human to sprouting fangs, getting crimson in my silver eyes, thirsting for blood and then learning that I'm some weird hybrid, but now I think it was for the best. I'm happier for knowing._

 _Oh! My clan is great too! Like I said, I was scared at first but they're all super nice! There's Raven, she's my mentor, aunt and Yang's mom! Anyway, she's a bit strict and she makes me do all her chores because she sucks at them but she's super strong and funny and actually caring and really nice once you get to know her! Then there's Alan… I really like him. Alan is an Acolyte, a human or in his case, a faunus that lives with the clan and gives blood to us Vampires. He's always down on himself and doesn't have the best self esteem but he's so sweet his blood kinda reminds me of yours. He's funny too but I wish he would be less hard on himself. Still, I think it's cute how he always goes on about his little sister Crystal. Oh yeah! Crystal Skye! She's a fox faunus starting at Beacon, in fact, she should have already had her entrance ceremony I think! There's also Calister, he's the patriarch of our clan, he's kinda scary but he's sweet too, he's kinda like a big teddy bear though I wouldn't call him that to his face. There's Iris Blank, she's the Vampire in charge of the Acolytes, she's quiet but Alan says she's cool… whatever that means. There's a bunch of us living in a little village in the forest and it's a good life._

 _I guess I should say the things I really need to say now huh?_

 _I don't know how long this letter will take to get to you. We only have a handful of Vampires that are allowed to leave the village to go into the kingdoms and they do so only a couple times a month. Still, I need you to know something and it won't be easy to hear…_

 _Weiss, I asked Qrow to give you back one of the earrings you gave me. If he did what I asked, you should have it. I want you to take good care of it because… I don't know when I'll be coming back. I don't know if I'll be coming back. I've found a home and even though it's only been a short time, I know they see me as part of their family and I see them as my family. The way things work in my clan are different than anything I've ever known but in my heart, I can't help but feel like this is where I belong._

 _I'm sorry…_

 _Your friend, partner and leader… Ruby Rose_

 _I love you."_

Her hand was trembling as the pen made that final stroke, dragging across the paper before falling weakly from her fingers while her tears dripped down, splashing against the white, mingling with the black ink, distorting her letters as they soaked in but there was nothing she could do to stem the flow of tears that poured from her shimmering eyes. Images of her partner flashed in her mind, the sound of her voice, the smell of her hair, the softness of her skin… and the cool, gentle and protective taste of her blood. All of it competed with memories just as sweet; waking up next to Raven in the mornings, cleaning their room, talking with her mentor before going out to feed, usually on Alan, the taste of his blood almost as blissful to her as Weiss' and then going about her day, lending her strength to her village, all of them working as a family for the good of all of them with love in their hearts.

 _I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I don't want to leave. I don't-_

 **Crack...**

Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing ceased instantly. Her quaking hand moved up, wiping the tears away that blurred her eyes as she looked towards the subtle, quiet sound of the snapping twig. Her senses seemed to go into overdrive and her adrenaline began to pick up, her pupils shrinking as she slowly and carefully picked up her bow and arrow.

Through the brush and low hanging leaves Ruby could see the slightest hints of movement and hear light steps against the soft earth. Her breathing was subdued and hushed as she ever so carefully and quietly gripped the length of her bow and slowly brought the notch of the arrow to her shoestring, her body seemed to become as still as stone and her gaze fixed and focused down the shaft of her arrow towards the motions below, her fingers squeezing around the end as she pulled it slightly back, giving the lace tension, pulling back on the point of the arrow out in front with the mid shaft resting against the bow.

In a clearing down below, directly in her line of sight she could see a little black nose pop out from behind a tree, sniffing at the air before stepping more and more into view. The late day sun had turned to orange as it began to set and the fiery light set the light brown pelt of the majestic animal ablaze as it stepped into a space between the trees, its ears twitching atop its head and her big brown eyes blinking as it looked timidly around, never seeming to notice the predator that stalked it from the tree above only a short arrow's flight away.

Ruby's jaw clenched and her heart ached as she watched the beautiful animal walk cautiously into the middle of the clearing, the doe's white tail swaying ever so slightly while it prodded the ground with its hoof before craning its neck towards the dirty to nibble at a small patch of grass, its ears erect and attuned to danger while it fed. She watched as the doe daintily nibbled on blades of grass, its breaths pushing and pulling the swaying green that grew from the forest floor while its chest rose and fell.

 _She's beautiful… what am I doing? I- I don't want to hurt her, I don't want to but…_ The pain in her stomach and the weakness in her body was quickly quashing her resolve, her arm pulling back on the arrow, slowly but surely bending the wood of the bow as she aimed on instinct for the killing blow as she had done to so many Grimm with her rifle. _I'm so hungry. Damn it, I don't want do this! Just run! Run away please!_

As loud and as desperately as she screamed in her head, her thoughts could not reach the unsuspecting animal, the breeze and the ambient sounds of nature concealing the subtle bending of her bow until the arrow was fully drawn back, ready to fire. Her arm burned with pain and exhaustion and her trembling hand threatened her aim as she pointed the arrow towards its chest, closing one eye, leaving the other to focus perfectly on her target.

 _Run…_

Inhale.

 _Please... I don't want to hurt you._

Exhale.

 _I- I'm so sorry!_

She pulled back just a millimeter further, her bow creaked and the deer's head shot up, Ruby's teeth were bared showing her fangs as she clenched her jaw and for one brief instant, crimson and silver met terrified brown.

Release!

After only a fraction of a second of hesitation she shut her eyes tight and let her arrow fly, the bow snapping into form projecting the arrow outwards with all its force. The projectile soared through the air at the same moment that the deer began to run and through tightly squinted eyes Ruby saw her arrow land in the animal's side… towards its hind legs.

 _No! No! I- I didn't mean…_ Her eyes were wide open just in time to catch a blur of brown and the frantic running of the deer as it bolted recklessly deeper into the woods, leaving Ruby sitting in the tree, her bow falling limply from her hand towards the ground as she shook in horror and heartbreak, seeing the drops of crimson on the grass below. Her fangs ached almost as much as her stomach, the bright red making her natural Vampiric thirst flare up, her mind turning for just a moment towards thoughts of drinking from Alan and Weiss, the way their veins just seemed to dilate at her bite just to give her more of their blood.

 _I can't take it back now… I have to find her and make sure that it wasn't for nothing._ Once more her eyes were clouded with tears as she unwrapped the red hoodie from her waist, tying one sleeve very securely to the branch giving it a firm test tug after the knot was tied. She could feel the shock of what she had done ebbing as she forced back every memory with her immediate goals; _Get out of this tree, get my bow, follow her. Get out of this tree, get my bow, follow her._

Her clouded and shimmering eyes held a solemn determination as she grabbed the other sleeve tight with both hands, giving one last lingering look at the still cooling blood that had fallen from the wound she inflicted on the unsuspecting animal. With a vigorous shake of her head Ruby took a deep breath… and jumped. The knot held, snapping her to a stop, dangling above the ground clear of any other branches, her hoodie giving her an extra few feet, hoping it would be enough to spare her from injury. Her arms were rapidly failing, the break she enjoyed in the tree wasn't nearly enough to recover her strength when combined with the effects of ever worsening starvation. As quickly as she could, with her arms shaking and ready to give out at any moment, she crawled down to the very end of the sleeve, giving one last look down to the forest floor before closing her eyes.

 **Thud!**

For the second time she felt the air forced from her lungs as she landed hard and painfully on her back, her weak legs giving out the moment they hit the ground, barely serving to take any of the damage before her body toppled. With deep gasps Ruby struggled to catch her breath, her heart pounding in her chest and her body aching all over as she stared up up at the tree above where her hoodie swayed from from fall.

 _Ouch…_ With a whining groan Ruby painfully forced herself up. She was tired, starving, in pain, blood thirsty, exhausted, mildly dehydrated and beyond ready to pass out, but still, an ember of that inferno she felt while she climbed the tree still burned in her soul, powering her despite her failing body. Her muscles quivered and cried out painfully in protest to her as she stood, but an indomitable will to survive burned through all of it, her heart beating not with blood but with flames as she got to her feet and staggered forward, grabbing her bow from the ground with an expression of unstoppable, primal ferocity. _I will not die. I will not die out here!_

Sweat soaked and covered in dirt and blood from her climb and fall Ruby walked weakly towards the clearing with her bow in hand. The space between the trees where she had shot the deer was cut through by a long grassy trail frequented by all manner of animals, but still, with her arrow gone there was only one other creature in the entire world that mattered to her. She felt sick and nauseous as she stood over the droplets of blood that had dried to the grass, but terrifyingly, she also felt a sense of pleasure, accomplishment and pride. She was a predator now, there was no turning back from that and even though her heart ached for what she knew she would have to do, she felt as though the world faded away when she had her focus on her prey.

With a now stoic face she turned away from the patch of bloodstained grass, looking towards the direction that her prey had run off to, seeing the branches snapped in its mad and ultimately fruitless dash for its life. As Ruby began to walk, following patiently behind it, she snapped the branches along the way, giving very clear markers to her path so she could retrieve her hoodie.

The sounds of the forest had changed, the birds chirping was different, more hard and frantic as she walked down the path crumpled twigs and kicked up dirt. She could see its hard and labored footsteps imprinted into the soft ground and every so often she would find more of its dazzlingly beautiful vital fluid that painted the green with its vibrant crimson. The sound of animals scurrying through the brush and leaves had ceased from the moment she fell from her tree, she could imagine the fear the other animals had, a predator they had likely never seen now stalked their woods and it was sweet little Ruby Rose.

She felt the wind shift, by a stroke of serendipity it began blowing towards her putting her upwind of her bleeding prey. Vampires had a similar sense of smell to humans… except when it came to blood. Animal blood was apparently no different, though it smelled harsher and unappealing, not particularly bad but nothing she would want to drink, her instincts told her as much regardless. The flowing air felt cool to her overheated, over exerted body despite the heat she found oppressive earlier thanks to the quickly setting sun.

With her free hand she wiped her brow clear of sweat that clung to her skin and weighed down her clothes. Her breaths were more relaxed and natural, no longer needing to hide her presence from her prey though she did what she could to keep her footsteps light against her weakened legs. She could be sure how long she was walking for but the deer hadn't gotten far by the ever growing scent of its blood, she was surprised that her nose could tell both the amount and distance of the spilled blood, it was something she hadn't noticed before since she always drank straight from the tap.

Suddenly, a helpless and panicked thrashing ripped her attention from her nose to her eyes, her pace slowing hesitantly as she drew closer and closer, pushing aside large flat leaves of fern with her bow while she crouched down, coming into another small clearing. The warm light of the setting sun streamed in from above as the dense canopy parted, allowing a rare and spacious unobstructed view of the endless sky painted shades of orange, pink and blue. Crickets began to chirp as daylight grew to a close and the birds singing came to a soft and steady end.

However, all of the beauty around her was lost on Ruby as she stared down at the thrashing, helpless creature, its eyes wide as it stared at her in terror from the ground, laying on its side as it drew rapid and labored breaths, each one giving her arrow a slight rise and fall while its hind leg twitched only centimeters below where her arrow rested in its body. For a long and numb moment, Ruby just stared into its eyes, seeing the fear in them, the desire to live undeniable in those big browns that were almost pleading with her for mercy.

 _I did this… because I hesitated, because I was weak, I like her suffer longer than she needed to. This is my fault._ She felt something inside her, something strangely calm and at peace as she walked up to the frightened animal, drawing her knife from her side while it feebly tried to struggle away, its legs kicking and its whole body shaking with shock and fear as Ruby stood over it. Her eyes were soft and filled with compassion as she knelt down in the dirt beside it, feeling her heart change in that moment, shedding a weakness and naivete she had held onto her entire life as she brought her knife up, covering the animal's eyes with her free hand.

 _I'm sorry._

* * *

A hot fire crackled in the dark, bathing the small clearing in its hot orange glow as it consumed the wood Ruby had gather and set ablaze. Hot embers sparked up, reflecting her mirror like silver eyes and making her the crimson in them glow a deep red as she stared into the flames. In her hand she held her arrow suspended over the burning wood, cooking a cut of her kill's muscle that she had cut from its body. She didn't know how to skin it properly but she was far too hungry to care and the smell of the cooking flesh made her mouth water and her stomach growl in anticipation.

She couldn't rest yet and she knew that, no matter how much sleep pulled at her consciousness, enticing her into the sweet embrace, no matter how heavy her eyelids got, she knew she couldn't just let the animal she killed go to waste, taking its left meant at least she owed that much. Still, as her head looked up to the night sky, her back resting comfortably against her hoodie that rested between her and the tree behind her and with the fire's warmth washing over her, staving off the cool night air, she couldn't help be feel the urge to give in and just let her eyes flutter closed.

 _But I can't._ She rapidly shook her head, staying awake and keeping her arm up, suspending her food over the fire by sheer force of will alone. Never in her life had she felt so exhausted, never in her life had she felt so tired, so hungry and so beaten up, her skin was littered with bruises and scraped and her hands and feet were painfully blistered. Even so… _I don't think I've ever felt quite this satisfied in my life either._

 _Raven said I was supposed to find my Familiar out here but I feel like I'm find things that I didn't even know I was looking for. This place is changing me… and it's changing me fast. I wonder if Weiss or Yang or Blake or anyone back in Vale would recognize me after this? I wonder if I'll be able to recognize myself…_ A soft sigh left her lips as she gazed at the twinkling stars. The night sky was beautiful with swaths of stars splashed across the expansive darkness like pinpricks that bled out pure light to give solace to those in the dark. She had taken to making up constellations as she stargazed, memorizing the patterns in the stars while entertaining herself.

 _Well, either way, I need to eat and sleep. I'll finish this then go to-_

A sudden and horrified gasp left her throat as every muscle in her body tensed, her skin tingling with goosebumps and electricity surging through her nerves as she stared in terror at the sight before her.

There it was, staring down at her just on the other side of her fire, its steady inhale and exhale barely audible but its big gray eyes shined in the light of the flames and there was no mistake that it was looking right at her. A giant wolf, larger than any she had ever seen with fur as black as night and eyes like cold steel, its body crouched down ever so slightly as though debating on whether or not to lunge through the fire to eat the girl before her or not.

Her quaking hand pulled back her food from the fire, steam and smoke rising off the muscle as she stared back at it, her other hand reaching towards the knife that rested on the ground beside her. _I-it's too big… I can't fight it off with just this knife, not in the state I'm in. So… this is what it's like to be helpless prey. It's overwhelming, the difference between us, the positions we're in, it could take this life so easily from me and I wouldn't be able to do a thing to it… just like the deer I killed._

 _Even so… even so I don't want to die. Just like the deer, I'll fight to live, however it ends for me… I won't just lay down and die._ Pulling her lips back she bared her razor sharp fangs, glaring defiantly and ferociously into the wolf's eyes as she raised her knife up between them.

 _Raven, Weiss, Yang, Blake… I'm sorry._ She took a long, deep breath, making peace with whatever was about to happen before pouring her strength into her exhausted legs, ready to give the predator a fight for its meal. However… before she could begin to get to her feet, the wolf's posture seemed to relax, its head raising up and its shoulders dropping into a more casual pose, even its eyes seemed to soften before it began walking away. Ruby held the knife in one hand and her cooked deer in the other but her eyes followed the wolf curiously until she saw the dim outline of the deer's carcass illuminated by the fire only meters away from her having been too exhausted to move its body.

 _So, you just wanted an easy meal huh? Lazy pup, that's my kill._ She couldn't help but giggle at calling a wolf the size of a modest horse a pup. Still, she watched it bite into the deer's upper front leg where she had cut her meal from, where the skin had already been pulled away, biting at the exposed muscle, tearing its flesh away with its teeth, giving vigorous shakes of its head while it clamped down with its powerful jaws.

 _Oh well, I don't mind sharing since he'll probably be too full to eat me afterwards._ With a smirk Ruby relaxed, crossing her legs beneath her before placing the knife into her lap. She took a long, deep inhale through her nose, smelling the well cooked meat as she licked her lips and so, as the wolf gorged itself on the body of the the deer that remained, Ruby bit into her share. It tasted better than anything she had ever eaten short of blood, it didn't have any spices or salt but as she bit down, slicing through the tough, hot, juicy muscle she felt it pulling her back from the brink of starvation and a pleased and content smile pulled at her lips, showing her fangs once more in a bright and happy grin.

 _Hmm… I wonder._ Ruby looked back to the wolf who was happily eating his fill on her kill while she chewed her venison, swallowing it down before going for another bite, this time taking a sizable chunk of the slab of meat, slicing it off with her fangs before spitting it out into her palm.

"Hey…" At the soft sound of her voice the wolf looked to her, its muzzled and teeth stained with blood just like her hands. Under its gaze she didn't feel the intense fear she felt before, instead, she felt a strange connection to it, an understanding with the powerful predator something deeper than she could explain.

"Here." With a smile she threw the chunk of meat over to him, her weak arm barely making it halfway between them. Still, it got his attention, the wolf leaving the carcass as he sniffed at the ground for the flame cooked piece of its muscle. She watched in delight as the wolf found it, hungrily lapping it up, chewing on it only for a moment before swallowing it down and licking its lips.

'I think he liked it.' Another elated giggle hummed from her throat as she took another bite of her food, seeing the wolf still staring at her, its head tilted slightly while it continued to lick its lips. _You want more? You have a whole deer over there! Fine, but just one more!_

Giving a slightly irritated growl Ruby bit off another piece of her venison, this time intentionally smaller, spitting it back into her palm and throwing it towards him. The wolf snapped up at the air, gracefully missing the food, biting at nothing while the meat pelted its face before falling to the ground. His ears flicked at the a snort of laughter from Ruby and a huffed breath escaped its nose as it unceremoniously lapped the food from the ground before turning away with an exaggerated flick of his tail.

Ruby watched him, still eating her own now half finished meal, as he made his way back to the deer's body, grabbing it by its neck, his teeth sinking into the long gash Ruby had made to its jugular before effortlessly lifting the deadweight up in its jaws, the body limp in its jaws. She couldn't be sure why, maybe it was loneliness, but she felt a deep pang of sadness as the wolf looked back at her… before darting away into the darkness with her kill.

 _He's gone…_ With a sigh Ruby unfolded her legs, curling herself up into a warm little ball as she took another bit, staring dully into the fire. _At least the deer won't go to waste._


	8. The Sanguine Wolf Part 2

A soft and gentle warmth, that's what called to her from the dark and peaceful embrace of sleep, tugging her gently from the depths of her slumber. Her eyes squeezed shut softly in protest to the light that fell upon her face through the canopy, defiantly trying to return to her blissful dozing. The forest however, had her on its schedule and as the sun rose and the birds sang, her body's natural rhythm of wake and sleep fell into sync with the wilderness.

Her small frame shifted underneath her red hoodie, Ruby's little body curling into a ball, taking comfort in her own warmth against the cool morning breeze that flowed through the forest. At her feet her fire had burned out to a small mound of ash and charred wood, her bow too rested beside her with her blood stained arrow still miraculously intact after having taken down her kill the day before. Her fingers tingled, her blood cut off by her head resting on her arm, the only thing she had for a pillow in the woods. That, combined with a deep and permeating thirst that left her throat and mouth painfully dry was the final tipping point from restfulness to alertness.

A weak and very tired groan rumbled from her throat while she flopped onto her back, her hair catching dirt and debris from the forest floor as her head laid on bare dirt. She reached her tingling hand down, contracting and and extending her fingers in the dubious hope that it would give her sensation back sooner. The sunlight bathed her eyelids, a warm orange glow penetrating the sheaths of thin flesh allowing a fraction of it to still reach her eyes.

 _Fine…_ With a long and bitter sigh, she resigned herself to waking. Big and stunning eyes fluttered sleepily open, the silver in her eyes shining in the sun like the purest metal gleaming the purest light while the crimson that stained the perimeter of her iris seemed to absorb the light, only releasing it as subtle glow in the color of blood. She stared up at the big blue sky, light puffy clouds hung in the endless canvas that spanned the world and her thoughts and feelings ebbed, taking the tranquility of the moment to admire something she had taken for granted her entire life.

 _I don't think I've ever been alone this long before. I don't think I've gone this long without talking since I was able to talk. I've never been on the brink of starvation until yesterday and I've never killed my own food until yesterday… that was the first time I've taken a life. I looked right into its eyes, it was scared and in pain, all so I could eat it. It tasted good… better than anything I've had before. Maybe because I was so hungry? Still, I feel stronger, not just because I'm not starving, it's something else. This place is changing me and I haven't even found my familiar yet._

It was all so vivid in her mind. Every moment from her first glimpse of the deer to cutting its throat, all of her senses could clearly recall each detail and her heart remembered the emotions she felt. It was at once so surreal while being all too real, she couldn't be sure how she could even begin to process the changes the wilderness was imposing on her… _And I'm not even sure I dislike it._

Introspection brought her mind to full alertness, her heart struggling with the changes it was experiencing. Though her mind felt heavy, her body was surprisingly light as she sat up, her muscles ached from the intense exercise but still she felt strong, stronger than ever despite the burning in her arms, legs, back and abs. In every possible way her mind, body as spirit were exhausted from being hardened by the forest but still she stood, firmly tying her hoodie around her waist, her eyes staring intently forward an unmatched resolve burning with an uncompromising will to survive.

 _Raven said that my Familiar will be an animal that will merge with my soul, whatever that means. She said it would be a creature I'd form a close bond with…_ She bent over and picked up her arrow and bow, holding both in a firm grip as she rose, her head turning to the crimson stained earth only meters away to her side. All that was left of her kill was a splash of red on the dirt dragged into a trail from where her late night visitor had taken it. Butterflies fluttered in the air, trying the take the nutrients from the deer's dried blood, the beautiful insects drawing out her own thirst for blood, her fangs aching subtly as her eyes followed their ornate wings down the streaks of bloods towards snapping branches and crushed grass.

 _The wolf is the first animal I've interacted with besides the deer I killed. He didn't kill me, he even let me feed him. There has to be a reason right?_ As she started off into the forest where the trail from the dragged corpse retreated her free hand instinctively moved to her side, unclipping her canteen from her belt, giving it a firm shake to confirm what she already knew. _It's already all gone. I didn't drink water for my first few days here, guess I haven't had water since I've turned, blood was all I needed or wanted but once the mortal hunger kicked in so did mortal thirst… it really didn't last long from there._

 _I guess my priority now is finding more water. I think ate enough last night to get me through the day even though I'm still hungry... maybe._ With the slightest shake of her head she banished the pangs of hunger from her mind, focusing instead on the motivation of thirst as she clipped her canteen to her side and began walking. The butterflies dispersed as the young woman walked along the blood stained path, the her nose so sensitive to the precious vital fluid that even hours after drying the scent still tantalized her. Even after her meal the night before she still couldn't shake the deep need for blood from another person. It wasn't a sensation like quite thirst or hunger though drinking from another's vein was unbelievably refreshing and satisfying. Instead, going without blood felt isolating and wrong, like a connection she longed for that she was being deprived of, something more intimate than sex and more blissful than love.

 _I guess it's just natural for a Vampire to want to have that connection with the ones they feed from. The second my fangs tap their vein it's not just me or them, we aren't separate anymore. It's the most amazing and beautiful experience and it never dulls no matter how much I drink. I- I wish I could tell Weiss that. I want her to know how precious my first feeding was to me, that I shared that with her, even if I got a bit carried away, it made it so much easier to accept what I am. The thought of never seeing her again… it hurts, but I finally feel at home, more so than I've felt anywhere else. I can't just leave when I- when I've finally found my family._

Her inner turmoil and ever growing thirst for both water and blood were all at once brought to an abrupt stop, her mind grinding to a halt as she pushed aside a branch in her was, obstructing her path. The branch broke with a loud snap that echoed through the tranquil woods and as the echoed faded into nothingness Ruby still stood frozen in place, staring forward with eyes wide in awe, time seeming to stop along with her heart and breath.

Before her only meters away nestled in the trees lay a giant and mighty beast, a creature with fur as black as night and eyes as cold as steel staring directly and intently into her own. The wolf's ears perked up atop its head and while its tail patted the dirt. The large predator watched Ruby as she watched it, though its gaze was deeper than awe, more cool and subtle, seeming to stare into her from its relaxed position. She watched the gentle rise and fall of its chest and found after her mind caught back up with time, that her breaths had at some point fallen in sync with his.

 _He's… bigger than I thought._ She felt like she should be afraid of the near horse sized predator, her heart was racing and her body was frozen, but still she couldn't feel even the slightest hint of fear in her chest. The only word that could come close to describing the feeling that overtook her mind and body, the only thing that could convey the magnitude of what she felt for the beast… was reverence.

Finally, after what could have been seconds or hours as far as Ruby could tell, his ears relaxed and his eyes softened as he moved his head towards his chest, his mouth gently nipping and licking at his side, grooming his pitch black fur without regard for his spectator. All Ruby could do was watch him, his pelt looked soft and warm and extremely well maintained, she could tell he was a proud animal by the way he kept himself. His muscles rippled under his skin, firm and extremely toned and well defined denoting the power he was capable of, reminding her once more of how graciously he spared her life that he could have so easily taken instead.

 _He's beautiful._ The thought rang through her mind and heart as one of pure truth and acceptance, a fact of reality that was inexorably right. She felt something deep within her, something beyond her heart or blood or mind, a gravitational attraction that tugged at her very soul, taking over her body as she walked forward without thought, never once for a moment taking her eyes off of him. Again his ears flicked and his head raised up to meet the approaching girl, his tongue giving his lips a quick lick before withdrawing back into his mouth.

It was only then that she noticed the scars that covered his body, the wounds of many hard fought battles and hard earned meals. Old lacerations littered his snout, one even crossing over his eye. He had the memories of old injuries etched into his skin all over his body and she knew he had lived a long and difficult life, but survived to reach the size and wisdom he possessed. She admired it, she didn't need to ask it if any of her assumptions were true, she just innately knew they were. That ferocity and uncompromising passion for living that she felt climbing the tree and taking down her first kill and the unimaginable satisfaction of eating it, things she never could have even begun to comprehend before she now shared with this great creature.

A quick huff from the wolf's nose snapped her to attention, bringing Ruby to a stop on command only just slightly more than an arm's length away. Despite the immensity of her desire to reach out and touch the wolf, she held too deep a respect to move when it had asked her to stop and somehow, she simply understood his desire. He watched Ruby for another long moment, his head tilting ever so subtly before finally turning his gaze towards the forest beside the, looking at something just out of view of Ruby's periphery.

Only when she turned her head could she see what he was looking at. The deer… the animal she had killed now lay in the dirt, its body picked apart and its skin and fur in shreds, flies and butterflies warmed it, eatings its soft exposed organs that the wolf had left them and drinking its remaining fluids. She felt like she should have been repulsed or guilty but unlike last night… _I'm not. I don't feel bad and I don't feel like I did anything wrong. I was able to eat, to live another day and the wolf spared my life in exchange for the easier meal that I had killed. This is the way it works here in the forest… this is the way the world works removed from the control of people. Then again, maybe it's no different back in the kingdom, we just never see where our food comes from. I prefer this, I would rather be the one to take the life myself. At least what's left is returning to the forest where the deer lived its life._

"Thank you…" The words left her lips as she stared at the ripped up corpse, her eyes solemn but hard while her voice was soft with the deepest possible thankfulness and caring. She turned her attention back to the wolf, at first unsure why he wanted her to see her kill, thinking perhaps it was to drive home the lessons the forest had been teaching her. However, it was more than that, because when she looked up, she found herself face to face with the wolf, its head so close it could snap at her and break her neck in a heartbeat if it so wished.

"Thank you too, for showing me and for letting me live." She dipped her head respectfully, feeling his hot breath blow against her face. He didn't have to let her live. The deer she killed was small and he was massive, adding her body to his dinner probably would have been better for him. She could have easily been a corpse lying there by the deer, her remains being consumed by bugs, everything she was returning to the forest and sustaining the wolf. She was alive by his his will only, there was no way she could have fought him off in the state she was in the night before, so she bowed to him.

Another huff of breath left his lungs, washing over her face and for a second, she could have swore she saw him nod ever so slightly before he turned away… and began walking.

"Wait!" Her body stiffened in an instant as the words blurted from her mouth, the wolf coming to a slow stop while its ears swiveled back towards her. For the first time since she laid eyes on the wolf, she felt a pang of deep and intense mortal fear, her heart pounding frantically in her chest as its head turned painfully slowly back towards her until its eyes stared into hers once again. For a brief moment, and for a moment only, his eyes were so terrifyingly cold and hungry that her body screamed at her to run.

Then, they softened, becoming gentle and relaxed, its tail beginning to sweep back and forth while its mouth opened half way, letting its tongue hang out and revealing its large and sharp teeth, its top fang broken in half on one side but its mouth still as deadly a weapon as ever. He gave his head and body a rolling shake that started at his snout and rippled down to his tail before he gave a long and relaxed stretched, bringing his chin to the ground and his spine extending before standing back up, stretching his legs while he gave a deep and refreshing yawn.

 _He can be cute too._ Watching his morning routine she couldn't help but smile, his stretching and grooming and preening, the contentment on his face when he stretched was unmistakable to her. Once more he turned his gaze back to her though this time expectant and urging, their eye contact fleeting as again he quickly looked forward and began walking into the trees.

"Okay… I'll follow you." This time she got his message loud and clear, whispering agreement before quietly following after him, keeping a respectful distance so as not to draw out his anger while always keeping him in her line of sight.

Ruby and the wolf walked deeper into the forest at a casual pace, every so often the wolf would look back at the young woman before quickly turning back. She took that as him caring that she was still close but not wanting to let down his tough and hardened facade, still, she didn't question it, following him obediently and never drawing too close or straying too far. She had no idea what direction they were going no how long they were walking but she could tell they seemed to be steadily going up hill though it was subtle and the sound of the forest over the distance and time they walked shifted, filling with different bird songs and thinner and more sparse trees than the high density forest she had been in up to that point.

The only measures of time she had was the sun which she looked up at periodically, finding hit now high in the middle of the sky while her internal clock told her it they had been walking for hours. She had to assume it was something around noon and they they had traversed quite a distance but the wolf showed no signs of fatigue nor slowing down even while Ruby was fairly certain that her own feet were blistered and bleeding. Still, she dared not fall behind, compelling her legs to match pace with her guide.

' _He definitely knows where he's going, maybe this is a test? Either way I won't fall behind.'_ The pain and exhaustion of yesterday was returning almost as rapidly as her thirst. She could feel dehydration setting in and her mind was begging for relief that she could not provide. Her body ached and every step became a battle to keep from collapsing but her resolve, her conviction burned through it all, and she made each and every step as strong and certain as the last.

 _I wonder where he's leading me? It's far and I'm exhausted, he ate most of that deer but I only had enough to keep away hunger for the night, he's also stronger than me, is he just trying to see how long I can go before I collapse?'_ She rapidly shook her head to banish her pessimism, only succeeding in make her hungry mind even more dizzy. _Okay, I need a distraction._

 _I wonder what my team has been up to? Has Ozpin assigned them a new leader or are they just going to be WBY now? I feel bad for leaving but at least Yang has Sun and Blake to keep her out of trouble… Weiss is alone now. There's a chance that the letter I wrote to her last night will be the last time we ever communicate if I decide to stay with Raven. There's no way Weiss would- I mean, asking her to become an Acolyte is too much, she wants to take over her father's company. She'll want to have a life, a family someday, her career, she wants to be a Huntress and help people. I can't ask her to give all that up to live in a community home with the other Acolytes and be fed off of by the me and the other Vampires back home, even if it would be that eventually she would become my Vassal… no matter how happy that would make me, I can't ask her to do that._

 _When Raven delivers this letter… I'll ask her to tell Weiss… goodbye for me. Okay, I have to stop this now, I can't waste the water in my body on crying. Um… I know! I'll write a letter to Raven!_ A bright but also wistful smile formed from her lips as she reached towards her pocket on her cargo pants, unbuttoning them and pulling out a pen and pad of paper. She looked back up to the wolf in front of her who slowed his pace for a moment, turning to look at her after the sound of her button draw his attention before seeming to shrug and keep walking forward. Feeling like he didn't mind, she put pen to paper, and started writing.

 _" Dear Raven Branwen;_

 _I- I'm not really sure what to say. All my life you were the person that left Dad and made Yang sad, I was angry and sad that you weren't there, especially after mom died. I wish you had been there for so many milestones for Yang… and for me, if I'm being honest. Qrow was always like a father to me as much as Dad was, I guess now I know why. Still, I wish you could have been a part of my life, a part of our lives._

 _Now I know the truth, I understand that there were reasons you couldn't come back but I'm still having a hard time letting go of all those lost years. Yang is the best sister in the world… but she could never be my mom, no matter how hard she tried._

 _I've been living with you for weeks and I- I really wish I could have had this sooner. I know this might sound weird but I feel so comfortable around you sometimes I think that if you did come back, I really could have thought of you as my mom. I could have had a mom again… maybe then I wouldn't have grown up the way I did, I was always scared of people I never knew how to deal with them. I see you though, you're cool and confident and I know that comes from growing up in such an awesome family, our clan… I think of them as family, I really do._

 _Maybe if my Vampire side awakened sooner, or maybe if I wasn't born half Slayer I could have been raised in our clan when I was little. You know, I never really had that sense of belonging to happy family, a place where I really fit in… not since Mom died. I feel like I'm just starting to get that now being with our clan._

 _I know neither of us can do anything about the past, but I've made a decision about my future these last few days._

 _I want to stay. I want to be a part of the Rubrum Clan. I want to give our family my strength and I want to build my life back up with you and Iris and Alan and Calister and everyone else. I don't want to lose to my family, I don't want to leave._

 _I want to stay. I won't be going back to Beacon._

 _Raven… thank you for watching over me since I came to our Clan. I was scared and unsure, I was afraid of the changes I was experiencing and I didn't know what to do. I thought I was a monster, wanting to drink the blood of my friends. Now I see that it isn't a bad thing or something to be afraid of, it's beautiful and deep, I think I'm starting to understand what it means to be a Vampire. Still, that comes second to what I'm learning about being part of a family like ours and I- I'm just… I'm happy._

 _I love you and I can't wait to come home._

 _Your loving Niece; Ruby Rose."_

As hard as she fought not to, Ruby felt tears welling up in her eyes, clouding her vision as her pen made that final stroke to the paper. _This is the right decision. This is what's best for me. Maybe not for Yang or Blake, or Dad or Weiss… but I'm going to be selfish, and do this because I need it. I'm staying with my family. I'm staying home._

With a soft breath she put her pad of paper and pen away in her pocket, her heart flooded with a sense of overwhelming calm and clarity. There was no doubt anymore, it wasn't a question, it was the truth, and she wouldn't deny it for her friends or anyone else. She felt like a new chapter in her life was starting, and she was embracing it with the totality of her being.

 _I know this will hurt them… but I'm-_ Her thought's came to an abrupt and painful stop as her ankle nearly twisted, sending a wave of discomfort up through her leg as she caught herself before she could sustain any injury. Looking down at the ground, she found why; the soft earth of the forest had given way to uneven stone jutting up all over. Ruby's head slowly looked up, taking in the view of the new terrain, gasping in awe at the scene before her.

Volcanic rock had hardened and cooled long ago bathing the landscape in jagged stone with only a few paths passable, the pointed formations being crushed into more friendly terrain by massive and devastating ancient landslides. Towering over it all was a mountain, or more accurately, a large, dome like volcano that seemed to be long dormant with a trail cut up the side of the massive structure, the result of earthquakes shearing slabs of stone from the face of the mountain.

"Wow…" It was the first time in her life she felt the pure awe of nature's magnitude and grandeur. She was so small compared to it and the forces that shaped it were beyond anything a person could ever hope to achieve, no matter how powerful they were, they could never be as strong as nature. Her heart felt overcome with wonder and perspective, a sense of just how truly tiny she really was.

It was only the sudden blur of black in her periphery that snapped her mind back into focus, the flapping of wings as a dark bird took flight from its perch on a nearby jutting stone. Ruby's eyes followed it as it soared overhead, seeming to circle above them before flying away towards the volcano and then, as she followed its path, she found the wolf staring at her, watching her patiently, the wise and intuitive hunter giving Ruby her moment to take in the breadth of nature's grandeur.

 _Thank you._ Ruby gave him a knowing and grateful nod before navigating the stones until she made her way to the path he was patiently waiting for her on. Once again, the wolf seemed to nod back, acknowledging her thanks before moving on, walking down the natural road towards the mountain with Ruby close behind.

The black bird cawed overhead as it soared through the cloudless sky, circling several times as it seemed to keep pace with them, following their trek up the mountain. Ruby couldn't help but envy the bird and its flight as their path took a very definite and steadily rising incline up the zigzagging trail. Even the wolf was finally but subtly showing signs of fatigue, his steps became less sure and strong, his pace slowed and his panting grew but still he was better off than the girl behind him who was struggling to merely stay upright.

Still, even through the pain and exhaustion and thirst Ruby kept moving, her teeth and fangs bared and her eyes burning with the fiercest determination as she struggled to keep up with him. She shut out the pain in her feet, overwhelming the suffering with conviction. It was just like when she climbed the tree the day before, her body and soul were being pushed to their limits, she was on the border of life and death as her dehydration grew more and more as she sweated out the precious water from her skin. Stopping would mean death, she couldn't turn around, she had to put her life in the wolf before her and have faith that he was leading her to water.

She was shaking, trembling from exhaustion and dehydration, probably hunger too. She felt like she was on the brink of death but with every step she defied it, both her body and her will that felt like they would give out. Her heart raced, flooding her body with something of magnitude to match the mountain they climbed, that same lust and love for life and living, the act of her existence a cry of defiance to death itself, it felt warm, it felt powerful like she was connected to the entire world, a perspective she could have never known. Being alive… nothing more, nothing less, that was the gift that filled her with such bliss and passion, drawing out a determined smile even through the pain that only served to tell her that she was still herself, she was still alive and she would survive, no matter what.

 _This is life, a struggle against death all the time. We're Vampires, we're immortal but we can still die, we can be killed, we can starve and die of thirst. Being out here, living like this, I've learned that living always comes at a cost to another life. If the wolf chose to eat me it would have been no different than me eating that deer. It's not just life, but water and even warmth, we need so much to live and experience things, but those things are worth the sacrifice of others, because that's what life is. Being here, halfway up this mountain without enough strength to turn back and without knowing if I have the strength to make it all the way up, I realized that I no matter what, I want to live and see what's next, I'll fight and struggle and do whatever it takes to take every step I can. I'll smile, I'll see the people I love, I'll suffer and fight and grow just like the wolf and I'll earn everything I gain by surviving._

The bird flew low, Ruby could hear its wing beats nearby, she could feel the wind generated by its flapping cool her sweat soaked face as it glided past the wolf who was standing still in the middle of the path, coming to perch atop a pile of rubble that was blocking the way. It watched Ruby as it preened itself, its beak grooming its feathers as she approached but its eye never faltering from the girl as she came to a stop beside her companion.

"Another landslide… this one's a lot newer." She caught her breath beside the wolf. His muscles were visibly shaking almost as much as hers and he was panting right alongside Ruby. A soft and frustrated whine left his throat as his eyes looked around, seemingly hoping for a way around though the narrow path was blocked. They were high up and the ground below was separated from them by a very steep and sudden drop off. The forest below was massive and stretched as far as the eye could see though from up high on the mountain the individual trees were so small she could barely discern the closest ones that immediately surrounded the towering structure.

"I'm not dying here." With a deep but shaky breath she felt her heart began to pound harder as adrenaline permeated her veins, her body pooling all of its remaining energy, drawing for stores of strength she had never tapped before as rose petals fluttered in the soft wind, falling down the side of the volcano. The wolf's ears twitched, sensing the change in her aura, smelling the strength and adrenaline mingling with the rose petals materializing from her body.

"You've taken me this far. Will you trust me to get us over this?" She stood only inches from the wolf, staring into its eyes, her own soft with compassion and reassurance but also overflowing with strength as she slowly reached her hand out, hesitating only for an instant, before laying it gently on his head.

His fur was so soft and his body was warm, her fingers sank into his coat between his ears and her eyes never broke from his. Rose petals now seemed to be materializing from both of their bodies, the crimson flowers drifting off as they materialized out of his fur, flowing in the wind alongside her own. The raven stopped preening and watched intently as the two shared their long stare into each other's eyes, exchanging something deep and meaningful that only the girl and the beast could understand.

"Thank you." She whispered those words softly to the wind and as the rose petals they shed swirled around them like a blizzard until she and the wolf were consumed in a blur of deep red. Even as the wolf felt Ruby's Semblance engulf him, her warm and tender touch never stopped reassuring him. So, as she had put her faith in him, so too did he with her, closing his big grey eyes. And putting himself in her hands.

The bird flew away an instant before the storm of petals launched up the side of the mountain, running along the steep face at breathtaking speed, bypassing the obstacle with ease. Ruby had never felt so light, her Semblance seemed stronger than ever, moving both her and the large wolf with ease she had never been able to achieve before even on herself. However… her strength was short lived.

The instant they hit the path on the other side Ruby felt her body give under the immense strain, her body thirsty, starving and exhausted unable to cope with the newfound strength of her aura sending a pain like lightning shooting through her nerves as her aura broke itself, collapsing under its own immensity while she used the last of her reserves to force them to a stop.

"Woof!" The wolf barked, his voice echoing loudly and frantically from up high as Ruby's body crumpled, dropping her bow and arrow while all her muscles giving out at once while her weight still carried the momentum of her Semblance sending her into a rapid tumble straight towards the edge of the cliff. A blur of black lunged forward, the wolf dived forward and his jaws snapping shut hard on the first thing he could grab. He felt her weight come to a sudden stop as it pulled at his teeth, her lower body dangling off the edge while her shoulder was clamped tight in the predator's jaws.

The dull and distant pain from her shoulder barely kept her above unconsciousness, even her adrenaline failed her, unable to summon any more bouts of strength even as she felt her legs dangling, only held up by the wolf's jaws. She felt her body pulled from the edge until her feet rested on solid stone and the teeth that held her retracted from her skin, blood trickling from the punctures.

 _I- I have to get up… I have to stand…_ Her arms shook in agonizing protect as she pulled them cross the stone, their weight alone being almost too much for them to lift. She could feel the wolf's tongue lapping up her blood, licking her wounds that he inflicted saving her life. Ruby was barely able to lift her upper body, her legs beyond the point of giving out, she couldn't feel anything from them except pain... _No! No! I'm not dying here! I'm going to survive! I'm going to make it home!_

Her heavy and labored gasps for breath stung her dry throat, as bad as the starvation of the day before was, the thirst was orders of magnitude worse. Her biceps burned like fire was pumping through her veins and all she wanted to do was close her eyes and give in. _But I won't… He can't get back on his own, not with all that rubble in the way. If I die here, so will he. Just another reason that I… have to… get… up!_

Her eyes that she didn't even realize she had close shot open and a new sensation, this one warm and tender but strong. Soft fur tickled her chest, neck and shoulders as the wolf lowered his head under her, supporting her weight with his strength. With a dry swallow Ruby calmed herself, relaxing her muscles letting them push her up as much as they could while the wolf raised his head, their combined strength getting her back up on her shaky legs.

"I- I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm so weak." Ruby spoke between panting breaths, leaning heavily on the wolf's side, feeling his chest expand and contract with each breath he took. "I promise... I'll get you back down the mountain some how... and if I can't… eat me."

She was fading fast, her body felt like it was shutting down. Severe aura depletion coupled with exhaustion, thirst and hunger brought her weak body to its breaking point. Her vision dulled and darkened and sounds became more distant. Even the warmth of the wolf's body seemed to diminish as she faded out of consciousness. Her legs gave out and as the last vestiges of awareness faded, she could have swore she felt someone holding her.

"Take good care of her... please."

* * *

"M-Mom?" Tired eyes blinked blearily open, crimson and silver sparkling in the orange light of the setting sun as she stared out into the forest far, far below. At first, her senses and mind couldn't process what was happening, every muscle fiber in her body felt like it had been replaced with lead and her mind was weary and dulled but she could tell she was still somehow moving up the mountainside.

 _What's happening? Who was that? A dream?_ She tried to move but a sudden shift beneath her negated her movement and suddenly, she found out how she was still moving. Ruby's tiny, broken body had slept peacefully on the back of the giant wolf while he kept moving forward, keeping her safe.

 _The sun is setting. Pretty sure was it only mid afternoon when I passed out. Has he really carried me all this way?_ Despite her exhaustion, a small and weak smile pulled at her lips as she buried her face his his fur, feeling the powerful muscles working beneath it while his soft coat, warm and inviting enticed her back into sleep. "Thank you…"

A whine rumbled from his throat, his voice vibrating through his body and flowing into Ruby who rested on top of him. Her sleepy eyes blinked open and she felt them come to a steady stop, the wolf panting heavily as he gently laid himself down, giving his own legs a much needed rest. Getting the message, Ruby took a deep breath, bracing herself for impact on the hard stone below… and shifted her weight, rolling off the wolf that had carried her.

Her body landed with a dull impact on the flat and smooth rock leaving her laying on her back trying to catch her breath. The hours of rest had restored very little of her strength as she and the wolf lay on the ground panting together. However, a strangely cool flow of air washing over her from her side captured her exhausted attention as she weakly rolled her head over to see what it could be.

"A cave…" Ruby lay at the small mouth of a cave, barely big enough for her to fit in. Inside, light streamed in from a collapsed hole in the stone ceiling and that light reflected off of something that filled her body with renewed energy and desperation. She shot up, scrambling to her knees, staring with wide eyes into the cave as the warm orange rays of sun shimmered off a crystal clear pool in the middle of the hollowed out mountaintop. "Water!"

Her instincts took over as she crawled through the opening, her wounded shoulder scraping painfully against the jagged rock but even that didn't dissuade her. Her legs were still too weak to support her weight so she had to crawl, the tantalizing waters calling to her and her body and mind rejoicing even before she reached it.

Shakily she hunched over the pool, a spring that seeped up from the rocks, pure and clean and cool. She didn't hesitate, putting her face into the water, the cold instantly hitting her like a refreshing wave as she opened her mouth to imbibe the precious, life sustaining liquid. Her deep and frantic gulps echoed through the cave as she swallowed down what was without a doubt the best tasting water she had ever drank. Immediately she could feel her strength returning, dehydration staved off as she swallowed down more and and more, only finally stopping herself when she began to feel nauseous from drinking too fast. With the longest, most refreshed breath of relief she had ever given in her life she sat up, letting the water roll in drops down her chin and neck, cooling her down and carrying dirt and sweat from her skin.

 _I'm alive… I'm alive…_ Deep and satisfied breaths came with the most blissful smile. Something as simple as water that she always took for granted was suddenly the greatest blessing nature could bestow upon her for her resolve. Gently, she cupped her hands together, dipping them into the rippling spring, capturing as much water as she could before turning back to the entrance, seeing the wolf licking his lips impatiently at her.

"It's the least I could do." Her breaths steadied as she slowly and carefully made her way to the wolf, taking the greatest care to not spill even a drop.

"Here, I'll get you as much as you want." The small girl kneeled down in front of the large wolf, offering out her cupped hands over the threshold of the cave. She smiled so fondly and with such warmth as she felt the wolf's tongue splashed into the water, lapping it up thirstily from her hands. She didn't allow her hands to part until his tongue had licked clean every drop and his nose sniffed in her palms for more.

"We should stay together. I can help you, I won't slow you down again. I can help you hunt and I can build fires to keep us warm. You won't be a lone wolf… you don't have to be." Her weak arms fell limply to her side as she stared at the wolf expectantly and hopefully. After a long moment of staring into her eyes the wolf let out a long breath from his nose.

He stepped forward, just large body couldn't fit through the entrance but his head could, and it did. Ruby's eyes again widened in awe and happiness as she felt the wolf press his forehead against her own, there eyes only centimeters apart. She could feel it down to the core of her soul, in his touch and his eyes, it was obvious….

 _You're my familiar._


	9. The Sanguine Wolf Part 3

With only a little pressure wood gave way to steel, thin strips were shaved off as the sharp blade worked its way deeper into a small groove on the tip of a narrow but symmetrical shaft. Large silver and crimson eyes watched as her hands worked, one rotating the would be arrow and the other making precise cuts with her knife, finally, after one fourth of the blade's height could sink into the notch, she raised the tip of the arrow up to her lips, blowing away the shavings as she examined it.

With a satisfied smirk Ruby placed her knife down on the dirt beside her before feeling around with her fingers until they met something small and sharp with smooth curves and hard edges. A fragment of obsidian, glass left behind from the long since dormant volcano that she had broken away until it became a deadly sharp arrowhead. It fit perfectly into the notch, the pressure from the wood holding it in place while Ruby tied it down with thin rope she had fashioned from wood bark fibers.

In the three days that had passed since the wolf she was certain was her familiar took her up the volcano, Ruby had resolved to do more than just survive. She knew nothing about the process of merging with her familiar, so with days of trial and error, lots and lots of error, she had gained skills to help her thrive in the wilderness. _This makes six arrows. This obsidian is fragile so I can't expect to get many uses out of it but it's good for now._

Her fingers were covered in scratches and her shoulder was still healing from the bite she had sustained when the wolf pulled her from the cliff. Her feet were calloused and perpetually sore, her muscles never stopped aching and burning from the non stop stress and demand she put on them, she was hungry and thirsty and smelled like sweat, dirt and blood. Even so… she was smiling.

 _All done!_ She was beaming with pride, even though her palms and pads of her fingers were riddled with small cuts and blisters and covered in dirt, she stared at weapon she had made from what nature had given her with brilliant, sparkling eyes. _Alright, I guess we should get going now._

Giving a soft release of breath she hoisted herself up, her legs shaking as they struggled to lift her body. From the moment she woke up with the sunrise to the last instant of awareness she had before sleep she had felt perpetually exhausted, every hour tested her body and her resolve and every time she greeted a new day she knew she passed nature's test. _By the time I get out of here I might just be stronger than Yang._

"Hmmmrr…" A soft whine chimed beside her and a head of soft, warm fur came to rest under her armpit, slowly lifting her up in time with her shaking legs. A look of surprise was replaced with a warm and thankful smile as she and the wolf stood together.

"Thank you." Her words were merely a whisper and nothing compared to what their eyes conveyed as shining silver met dulled grey. Her free hand reached out without hesitation, scratching behind his ear, her fingers sinking into his plushy coat. "Come on, we should get going."

The old wolf shook his head, dust and debris flying from his fur before licking his parched mouth. His tail swayed calmly back and forth as Ruby picked up her knife and quiver fashioned from the bark of a tree and her hand made rope. It had been some time since either of them had eaten, a collaborative effort between Ruby and the wolf caught them a rabbit two days before but for a hungry girl and wolf it wasn't nearly enough.

So, with aching bellies girl and wolf set off into the forest, the young vampire taking her newly made bow from beneath a tree, this one much more clean and well fashioned with her more reliable shoelace as cordage. It was a tranquil midday, birds sang from the branches and although the air was hot and humid, a gentle prevailing breeze made it tolerable.

Ruby and her companion stalked quietly through the trees, her wolf took a slight lead while she followed his nose and instincts to find their next meal. Still, the pair walked in perfect, near silent sync and Ruby couldn't miss it. _We've been together for three days and he hasn't left my side since the cave. He sleeps with me, hunts with me, helps me find water, I build fires to keep us warm and I pet him as much as he wants. We share food and I enjoy having him around, I just know he likes being around me too._

 _It's so strange. I feel like I've known him my whole life, like he's just supposed to be with me. I wonder if he feels the same? I get the feeling that I've been waiting for him for a long time, I wonder if he was waiting for me?_ She had found herself wishing many times over the past few days that she could have a deeper connection to him, something more potent than speech or body language, something that only she and her kind could understand. _I want to drink his blood, I want to know how he feels and for him to be a part of me. Drinking blood seems to be how we vampires connect with the lives around us, it's as normal to me now as touch or talking is to humans or faunus. Still, he's a wolf and I don't want to scare him off by trying to feed on him, he might not understand and I just can't risk losing him._

She frowned, looking longingly at the wolf, hearing his blood rushing through his body even though they were separated by nearly a meter of air. Her fangs ached and her vampiric thirst welled up once again, competing with mortal hunger for her attention. Even with the distractions of her rising blood thirst she made certain to take careful, deliberate steps, making as little noise as possible, her heavy boots not quite as subtle as her companion's padded paws.

 _I miss blood so much. Eating the animals of the forest keeps me from being hungry and it doesn't taste bad but it's nothing compared to blood from someone who is willingly giving me some of their life. There's nothing else in the world like it. I miss that taste, the warmth, the feeling of their heart pumping their blood from their body to my mouth… okay! I need to stop, this is just making my fangs ache even more!_

With a vigorous shake of her head she tried to dispel the creeping thirst, the powerful desire that battered her like intense waves. She licked her sharp fangs, desperately trying to ease the aching she felt, her warm tongue rolling over the smooth slopes of her surgically sharp canine teeth. Even after weeks of having them they still felt strange, not a bad strange, but strange nonetheless. _Still, what I wouldn't give to drink from Alan or Weiss again…_

The memories were still so intensely fresh she could all but taste the unique and distinct flavors of their blood. Her chest filled with warmth and her cheeks warmed up with a soft blush as she let the memories wash over her.

The gentle and subtle heat of Alan's blood, the subdued taste of his empathy and caring and the slightly bitter hints of his feelings of inadequacy and lack of self esteem, all overwhelmed by his deep caring and compassion. She could savor his blood all day for its calming taste and the way it felt like his blood itself was embracing her and who she was. For her, Alan was someone who didn't judge her and accepted her and everyone else as is. _But that's also probably part of the reason why doesn't try harder for himself, he doesn't see what he could be… I hope I get to be there when he does see it. Maybe I'd like to be a part of that._

Then there was her first taste, her first time, the moment that truly awakened her as a Vampire. Weiss' blood was so, so different than Alan's and Ruby could tell the difference in her memory as clearly as she could remember their faces. Her partner tasted and felt cool, not cold, not uncomfortable, but even though her blood itself was so warm it gave a cool sensation that permeated Ruby's entire body at first. Soon, that cool feeling was replaced by intensity, opening up like a flower in the frost as spring arrive, bearing all the immensity of what she felt. Passion, exhilaration, bliss, fear, worry, pleasure, love, tenderness and protectiveness that contrasted with vulnerability and openness as she succumbed to Ruby, letting her leader have her fill of her vital fluid. _I've never felt something so intense and raw. Pure, unrefined Weiss was just how I knew her to be, and she let herself be free of inhibitions just for me. I know how she feels about me… and because of how I feel for her, I can't ask her to throw away her life to become an Acolyte just to be by my side._

A dull pain bit into her heart, a familiar gnawing that came from thinking about just what she was leaving behind. _I know I'm running away… I'm leaving them to be a bandit, to be a Vampire, part of my clan. I'm just like Raven, doing just what she did to Yang. I've seen what that can do to someone and yet… I still don't want to go back, I don't want to leave my clan, my family. I just feel like I belong-_

 **Crack!**

The sudden sound of a cracking branch ripped Ruby from her thoughts, her heart immediately beginning to pound with anticipation as she came to a dead stop with the wolf right beside her. Her wide silver eyes looked up, scanning the forest as she slowly crouched down as low as she could without her legs giving out. Her senses were on high alert and her companion dropped low, his eyes already fixed on his prey by the time Ruby had caught sight of them.

Four deer, two adult males, a doe and her fawn. They were only a dozen meters away and with the breeze on their side they were downwind of their prey. The grazing deer hadn't noticed them and both deadly predators tensed, their muscles ready for the pursuit, the wolf raising his haunches and lowering his head preparing to pounce while beside him the girl slowly and gingerly reached for the arrows in her quiver on her back, her gaze never faltering from the unsuspecting animals.

Everything faded away, all feelings and worries and distractions evaporated as her focus fell solely onto the deer. Her hands were steady and the burning in her muscles waned, all that was left was the gnawing in her stomach compelling her to hunt. She placed the notch at the end of her arrow onto the string of her bow, and held both with one hand keeping the arrow in place, ready to fire at a moment's notice. She and the wolf were sizing them up, the fawn would be the easiest to take but would yield the least and she wasn't comfortable with taking either mother or child, so she looked to the bucks and with a glance to her side she could see the wolf's eyes locked onto the same one, the largest of the group.

 _Alright, if you're ready…_

"Now!" With a shout Ruby threw herself onto her wolf's back with her free hand before immediately drawing her arrow and lowering her body for stability. The deer's heads shot up but and in the same instant the wolf launched himself and the girl, his claws gripping the earth and his powerful legs rapidly closing the gap between them and their prey.

The deer scattered but even with the vampire on his back the old wolf was strong and fast, wind rushing around them as he weaved through the trees going faster and faster after the animal they both had chosen as their target. Ruby's legs squeezed around his torso as tight as she could, she could feel his toned and powerful muscles moving between her legs, old age or not he was still the most fearsome predator in the forest.

While her companion kept pace with their soon to be meal, it was Ruby's job to keep the deer in her sights. The terrified animal ran as fast as it could bolting deeper into the forest likely hoping that its smaller body would give it an advantage over the massive wolf in the denser trees. Ruby however had no intention of letting it get that far.

With her teeth gritted and her legs struggling to hold on she slowly sat herself up, the wolf darting into sharp turns straining her body to its limits as fought to stay on his back. The wolf had done so much for her, she wouldn't be the one to slow it down. A fire burned in her chest as thrill mixed with determination and her body was reinvigorated with strength from the adrenaline coursing through her veins.

Closing one eye Ruby focused on the fleeing animal ahead of them, her heart was pounding but her mind was clear as she drew back her arrow, the wood of her bow bending, yielding her her strength as it readied to impart it into the projectile. The glassy obsidian arrowhead gleamed in the light of the sun that streamed through the canopy as she moved it along with the prey that had no idea what was about to hit it.

With a soft, steadying breath Ruby aimed her arrow just in front of the deer, seeing a clearing between two trees rapidly approach and the buck was heading right for it. Just like with her rifle on her old scythe she instinctively relaxed all but her legs as her senses blocked everything else out. Soft black feathers tickled her cheek as the fletching brushed against her face and time itself seemed to slow in that instant.

 **whoosh!**

With deadly accuracy Ruby loosed her arrow, the bow snapping back into shape sending the projectile flying through the forest, true to her aim it soared just between the two trees the instant their prey ran through them, right into the fatal collision course.

With a yelp the animal felt the arrow pierce his skin and flesh, burying itself into his chest between his ribs. Even with the fraction of a second Ruby had to see it, she knew the arrow had punctured its lung. The buck fell and her wolf accelerated, sprinting after the downed prey excitedly while he panted for breath, almost toppling them both as he took a very sharp turn between the trees, skidding along the dirt, only staying upright thanks to his claws and Ruby using her body as a counterweight.

"Whoa, he's not going anywhere!" She gasped as her heart recovered from their near fall while she patted him hard on his side.

"Grrr…" With a frustrated growl the wolf begrudgingly slowed down, even giving the young vampire a bitter huff and a shake of his head.

"What, you know it's true." Now thankfully at a walking pace Ruby hopped off the wolf's back, thankful to have her feet back on solid ground as she hung her bow over her shoulder. 'He's a stubborn old wolf but we make a good team.'

"Woof!" A loud and unrestrained bark echoed through the forest as he rushed forward the instant the deer came into view. Without waiting for his companion he lunged at the wounded animal, his extremely powerful jaws snapping down into its hind leg before violently shaking it, rendering fur and skin from flesh with ease.

"You could at least wait until I cut his throat…" Ruby sighed, pulling out her knife from her side while the terrified deer thrashed weakly against the clamped down teeth that were tearing its body apart. It's big brown eyes looked terrified up at the girl, pleading for life as its labored breaths wheezed out, the arrow in its chest slowly rising and falling unevenly as the buck slowly died.

"Shh…" Her voice was gentle and soft as she got to her knees, carefully covering the animal's eyes with her hand even as it struggled. A wistful smile pulled at her lips as she brought the knife to its neck, holding its head down as it struggled in vain. "Thank you."

Without hesitation, she cut its throat, her knife severing its artery in a single, swift slice. Blood poured out and its struggling ebbed, its body convulsing and twitching before it started to relax… and then drew its last breath.

"Come on, let's bring him back to camp." With a soft sigh Ruby flicked the blood from her blade before sheathing it, her companion withdrawing his teeth from their kill, licking the blood from his lips.

"Carry him for me and I'll share what I cook and you can have the rest." She looked to the wolf with a smirk, it wasn't much of a deal, he already needed way more food than she did and she knew it. Still, after seeming to deliberate for a moment the wolf lashed his tail before walking over to the head of the deer, his large maw opening up around its neck before biting down before lifting its limp corpse up and turning an expectant gaze to his friend.

"Thanks! I'll give you extra pets tonight too!" Ruby giggled as his tail began to wag excitedly. _Well at least I still have one bargain chip._

"Alright, let's go home."

* * *

"Finally!" Ruby cried as she and her companion entered their camp with the deer's body still carried in the wolf's jaws. Her legs felt like they would give out and as the sun began to set all she wanted to do was go to bed, but hunger compelled her to stay awake and on her feet.

Their camp wasn't much but Ruby had sunk nearly an entire day into it and she was proud of the investment. A large, hand dug fire pit sat in the middle with a wide but flat stone spanning the pit above the pile of ashes and charcoal which she used to cook their rabbit. The clearing was perfect with lots of space and a wide gap in the canopy for star gazing.

"Alright, bring him over here and I'll start cutting my share out and you can have the rest." There was no such thing as downtime in the wilderness when hunger was a priority. Filling her belly and her companion's, surviving another day, getting water and staying safe were all full time jobs and the little relaxation she could find was cuddling up with her wolf and staring up at the stars just before sleep would take her.

Once again Ruby pulled out her knife as the wolf dragged the deer to her, plopping it down before licking his lips impatiently. Still, despite his own hunger he waited for her, laying down beside her while she went to work on the corpse. Ruby wasn't shy about it, not as much as that first time. Her companion was a wolf after all, he wouldn't hesitate to rip another animal apart alive to eat them if he was hungry. So, she started cutting and peeling back it's skin and fur.

"You know, you need a name." She spoke to her companion but kept her eyes and her knife on that task at hand. The wolf just tilted its head at her, blinking while his tail slapped lazily against the ground.

"I've been giving it a lot of thought and came up with a name I liked, it's actually pretty funny too!" Ruby snorted, trying to hold back her giggles. "Okay, so what do you think of the name Drei? Get it? Because you're a wolf which is like a dog and you're bigger than Zwei!"

Drei did not look nearly as amused as Ruby. A huff of breath escaped his nostrils before he shook his head and went back to grooming himself.

"Well I like it!" She looked up to him and stuck her tongue out while she started removing the deer's intestines, taking the muscles and organs she would eat and leaving the rest of it to her newly named companion.

Her hands were coated in still warm blood, the sticky, crimson liquid smeared all the way up to her wrists to her forearms from reaching into the animal's abdominal cavity. She took what she would eat, the muscles from his back, half his liver and his thigh muscle, leaving the rest to Drei.

"Alright, I'm going to put these down and get the fire going, you can have the rest. Don't chew up the bones too much though, I could use those." Its muscles and organs were still warm against her skin as she carried them in her arms over to the stone. Behind her Drei gave a thankful bark before tearing into the deer. _I'm jealous of him, I wish I could eat right now but unlike him I have to cook._

She couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed at the satisfied sounds he was making while he wolfed down the deer. _Neither of us have eaten since that rabbit and that was barely enough for me. I can wait a little longer but he really needs it more than I do, after all, he was the one that did all the hard work getting us our food._

So, with a resigned sigh Ruby placed the slabs of meat and the liver down on the charred stone. She reached to the pile of tinder and kindling, stuffing thin, dry branches under the stone while balling up soft bark fibers into a small wad. She was thankful that she didn't need to resort to rubbing sticks together to make a fire, instead she used the fire starter that Raven had given her to ignite the tinder, setting it to smolder and blowing on it to stoke the flames before throwing it under the stone. After a few more more breaths blown into the fire pit, sending up clouds of ash, the flames took hold, eating away at the sticks she had fed them.

Smoke rose up, flowing around the blood stained stone as the fire licked at its bottom half. After throwing a few more thicker branches in Ruby pulled away from the hot air that was accosting her face, falling onto her back, looking up at the orange sky and letting the fire do its thing while Drei polished off the deer.

 _Who knew survival was so exhausting. Animals have it hard, every day it's a struggle to stay alive against the elements, hunger, thirst and predators. Drei has survived as long as he has because he's a wise and skilled hunter, he hasn't just survived, he's thrived. I'm struggling to just stay above starvation, I must look so weak to him even though I'm doing my best. I think Raven said that a Familiar chooses their Vampire… so why would Drei choose me? I don't think I'll ever really know but I'm glad he did, I really admire him and I thankful that he's around. He lets me sleep with him so even when it gets cold at night I stay warm, he plays with me, sometimes he just seems like a really big puppy. We hunt together, we eat together and we survive together. I think, even though he's so much more experienced than me, we make each other better. I bet he hasn't gotten to act like a puppy or have fun in a while, he really seems to enjoy it._

"Drei," Ruby whispered to the forest, she couldn't know with her senses that her wolf had parted from their kill and was now standing silently, just out of sight, but still, she knew he was there, watching her. A warm smile graced her lips as she pulled herself up. "Thank you for staying with me."

"Hmrrrr." A high and happy trill rumbled from his throat as Drei walked around the girl, plopping himself down right behind her, making himself comfortable before sprawling out and stretching. His blood tinged mouth opening up wide and his muscles shaking as he yawned and stretched before lazily going limp.

"Well I'm happy you're here too!" Ruby giggled softly before laying her head back down, just knowing that a warm, soft pillow of fur awaited her… and it did. She fell comfortably against his toned side, sinking into his fur before being caught by his strong muscles. The rhythmic beating of his heart and the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her began to lull her into a nearly overwhelming comfort, pulling her mind into the void of sleep as her eyes fluttered, struggling to stay open.

"No… I can't sleep yet, gotta eat. Drei, stop making me so comfortable, I'm still hungry you know?" With a shake of her head she forced her eyes open but couldn't bring herself to pull away from the warm, comfy body she was laying on. _I need to do something to keep me awake. Alright, what about writing another letter? Let's see,_ _I've got one for Weiss, one for Dad, one for Yang, Blake and Sun… and one for Raven._

"I don't know, would it be weird to give her that letter? I mean, I meant everything I wrote but we live together, couldn't I just tell her? I don't know if I have the nerve to do that. What would she think? I mean, it's only been a couple weeks, she would probably think I'm weird." A heavy sigh escaped her lungs as she snuggled up a little closer to her companion, her shoulders pressed gently against his chest. _I've really changed a lot haven't I? I have a big family now that I really feel like I belong to, I'm a Vampire that drinks blood and I could be alive for centuries like Calister. Most of all, this place, this forest, my clan, Raven, Drei, I'm changing so fast because of them. Me from a couple months ago wouldn't even recognize me now._

"I know who to write that letter to." Her words held a bittersweet gravity as she reached down to her pocket where her pen and pad of paper was held before bringing both overhead. After a moment of hesitation… she put ink to paper.

" _Dear Ruby Rose Branwen_

 _That's right, you're a Branwen, a Vampire like your Dad Qrow and your Aunt Raven. Turns out you're also a Slayer like Mom. I know a lot has happened to you and I can't even begin to imagine what things will be like in the future._

 _Do you remember what things were like before your Vampire side awakened? You had so much fun with Yang, Weiss and Blake, you were their leader at Beacon. Weiss could be cold sometimes but she always kept you on track and helped you strive to be better. Eventually, you fell in love with her, who knows, maybe when you read this again, somehow, some way, you and her can be together… I'd like that._

 _Blake was a good friend and always reminded me to keep a balance of realism and idealism. I admired her and over time she helped to balance me out and I feel like helped her open up, but Yang did way more for her than I ever did. I hope we get to see her again too._

 _Yang… I don't know if she comes home to our clan but I feel in my heart that it's where she belongs. Someday, I want you to show her this letter, because I want her to know that I'm sorry for leaving. Yang, I am so, so sorry, but I know once you're home you'll understand that this is where we belong! I love you Sis, take care of future me and don't let her do anything stupid, and future me, don't let Yang do anything stupid, you know how she likes to go off without thinking. Take care of each other, no matter what, you'll always be sisters._

 _Don't forget where you came from future me. Right now I'm in the forest with Drei, he's great, I know he's my familiar… I honestly don't want to think about what that means for him when this rite of passage is over. I took my first life here in these woods, it felt bad at first but the woods and Drei taught me that it's not a bad thing. Just don't ever stop being thankful for what we take because immortal or not, some day we'll be given back to nature too._

 _I don't know how much you've changed, I don't know when the next time you'll read this will be. Maybe you look at this every decade to see how far you've come but I don't think I'm patient enough for that, maybe that will be another thing that changes._

 _Take care of our family._

 _Love; Yourself."_

"This is silly isn't it?" Her arms fell weakly to her sides, pen in one hand and paper in the other. _Well, who knows, maybe reading that will give me comfort some day. I bet today's me wouldn't recognize the me that reads that letter again._

 **Boooom!**

The entire forest shook and at once Drei and Ruby shot up, eyes wide and ears alert as the explosion roared through the trees from overhead.

"Thunder… a storm is coming." Somehow, her words carried a foreboding and ominous tone as she looked to the sky. "I'll eat then we find shelter."

* * *

"Drei!" Her cry was nearly drowned out entirely by the howling winds and booming thunder that combined with the chorus of pelting rain that beat against the canopy before pouring down to the forest floor. Ruby's arms were raised up shielding her face for the lashing gusts and flying debris as she stomped through the pitch black woods only illuminated briefly by bright flashes of lightning.

"Woof!" Even though Ruby was blind in the dark Drei was not and even in the ozone laden air his nose could still guide them. So he slowed his pace, keeping close to the girl's side, barking loudly and frequently to let her know he was still with her.

Together wolf and girl braved the storm, Ruby following the sound of Drei's voice as they sought shelter from the harsh and unrelenting tempest. She couldn't see and she could barely hear anything over the squall, even Drei's barking was barely discernible, but even so she put her life in his paws and followed him as closely as she could… even as she felt her temperature dropping from being completely drenched.

 _This is bad. I- I'm freezing, the wind and rain and the temperature is dropping so fast. I can't feel my fingers and I can't stop shivering. Drei, he can't be much better off, we have to get somewhere dry and hope that cuddling will be enough to get us through the night._ Her body felt like every step would be her last, her exhausted muscles wanted to fail her. All she could do was grit her teeth and push forward through the intense gales. _I won't leave Drei alone in this storm!_

She felt something wet and strong whip against her leg, she could only pray that it was her companion, letting her know he was still with her. She was leaving their lives to him with nothing but faith that they would survive. _I won't die, I won't die, I won't d-_

 **Booom!**

Ruby was knocked back to the soaked ground as the air lit up with a flash of bright red! Lightning ripped through a tree only steps away from her, the raw power of the strike shearing bark and scorching wood nearly splitting the mighty tree down the middle before the concussive thunder exploded right before them.

"Woof woof woof!" Three desperate and rapid fire yelps managed to pierce the ringing in Ruby's ears even as she was reeling from the strike. She was shaking and try as she might her legs wouldn't move, her breaths were rapid and labored and her heart was pounding.

 _I- I can't move! I can't die here… please, not now, not yet… I can't leave him to face this alone! Get up! Damn it get up!_ Ruby felt tears pooling in her eyes as her fingers dug into the cold mud, her legs shaking and giving out every time she tried to stand. _Not yet! I'm not finished yet!_

She pooled all her strength, just like climbing the volcano or the tree, she felt something unimaginable ignite in her chest. It was a defiance against nature itself, against death and limitations, if there were one word to describe the fire that raged within her turning her blood to lighting and filling every fiber of her being with strength it would be ferocity!

"I won't die!" With all her will she staggered up, her legs buckling but not giving as she pulled herself to her feet.

"Woof!" Drei rushed over, propping himself against the girl, letting her support herself on him, leaning against his side so she could stand. He felt her wet, freezing hand shakily grip his back before they slowly started walking together with Drei ushering her towards the safety he sought.

Soon… the painfully pelting deluge of rain stopped and though the wind howled, she no longer had to fight its powerful shoves. Her boots no longer slipped on wet mud but walked across hard stone. It was dark and cold, but it was safe.

"A cave?" Blindly Ruby reached out her hand, grasping only at air her first couple of tries before her fingers met more smooth stone that made up the walls of the cavern.

By her side, Drei panted before vigorously shaking his body, sending water flying from his fur all over Ruby.

"Hey! Watch it!" Despite her scolding she couldn't be more thankful to him. 'He could have left me back there, we were close but he stayed and brought me here.'

"Oh well, at least it's dry in here. We can wait it out for here until sunrise. Just wish we had some light." Ruby giggled, reaching towards the sound of breathing until her hand found the top of the wolf's wet head, petting it _roughly. Looks like we live another night._

"Grrrrr!" A deep and threatening growl rumbled from Drei's throat as he bared his teeth. Ruby could feel his fur standing on end.

"Hey, what's wr-" The instant Ruby looked up, her blood turned to ice and her heart skipped a beat. Goosebumps crawled over her skin as the chill ran down to her bones. Her breaths turned shallow and rapid as fear permeated through her entire body.

A dozen pairs of glowing yellow eyes stared at them from the darkness… moving in slowly.

 _Grimm!_

"Drei! Run!" The instant she cried out she turned on her heel and rushed towards the exit of the cave illuminated by a flash of lightning! By her side she could hear the scraping of claws as Drei ran with her while the hungry baying turned into howls and roars that chased them.

After only a handful of rapid, panicked steps Ruby felt her boots again sinking into the mud while the rain washed over her from above. Now however, fear and adrenaline overwhelmed everything else. _My Semblance! If I run away and leave Drei they'll only follow me!_

She focused her aura, rose petals scattered behind her as her Semblance readied to activate. In her heart she knew how this would end. _I'm going to die… but I can at least save Drei!_

"Woof!" An instant before she could blur away in a flurry of petals Ruby was knocked down! She felt her body fall onto a strong and warm back as Drei swept her off of her feet, running as fast as he could from the pursuing Grimm while keeping Ruby stable on his back.

Her breathing was in time with his, both gasping and panting and their hearts pounding as one while the monsters encircled the old wolf encumbered by the young Vampire. Ruby looked up frantically trying to gauge the threat, catching glimpses of the Beowolves as they snarled and howled, maws wide open ready to tear into the girl's flesh.

 _This is bad! We won't make it like this. If Drei stays with me then he'll die too._ Her numb fingers gripped her fur as her eyes closed, squeezing hot tears that rolled down her face, mingling with the rain that clung to her skin.

"I'm sorry…" with that soft and painful whisper into his ear… Ruby let go.

Her weak body tumbled along the ground, covering her in mud and debris while the air was knocked from her lungs. She was deafened by a boom of thunder overhead but she knew the Grimm were closing in. _I have to move! I have to get them away from him!_

"Over here! Come and get me!" She couldn't see, she could barely hear and her body could barely stand, but none of that mattered. In a flourish of petals Ruby blurred forward, launching herself through the trees.

The bursts of speed were short lived and her aura was was fading fast as it took the brunt of every crash into the trees as she blindly dashed through the forest. Her body begged to give up but she wouldn't listen, only one thing was compelling her and that was giving her Familiar enough distance to escape. _He'll come after me but if I die first he'll run and live. I just have to give the Grimm enough time before he arrives._

 **Whoosh!**

Ruby blurred away, propelling herself inadvertently off the edge of a steep drop, falling from a rock outcropping before slamming painfully into the ground below. She gasped as air was forcibly expelled from her lungs and waves of pain rolled over her body while an intense nausea gripped her belly.

Her body convulsed with trembling as the adrenaline that fueled her ran dry, leaving her weak and broken in the mud, rain pouring down on her unabated thanks to an opening in the canopy that spanned the clearing she had fallen into.

It was cold and she wasn't sure how far she had gone… but she knew she couldn't go any further. _This is it… isn't it? I'm going to die here._

As if in answer to her silent question, the snarling of Grimm came. She could feel the pressure of their hunger and malice from all around her but still, she wasn't afraid. A weak and frail smile pulled at her lips even as cold rain washed over her. The young Vampire's small and fragile body grew still, not even shivering as she accepted the inevitable, calming herself as she braced for the pain before the release of death took her. In the back of her mind, one thing gave her solace… _At least Drei will live._

She felt them drawing closer as she made peace with her imminent death. _I'm sorry, Raven, Yang, Weiss, Dad, Qrow, Alan, Blake. I'm sorry. I love you all, I hope you know that._

With that final thought, she let her eyes close gently. She refused to give the Grimm the satisfaction of her fear. She only found it a little funny how much she must have looked like the deer she had killed just earlier that day. _What goes around comes around I guess? Heh, I wish it were anything but Grimm. I want my life to feed other lives, not these monsters. Oh well, hopefully the forest can use whatever is left of-_

"Awoooooooooooo!"

A powerful and piercing howl cut though the wind and thunder, snapping Ruby from her resignation, her eyes flying open to catch a blur of black skidding to a stop right in front of her in time with a cluster of flashes from the sky.

"Drei no! Run! I don't want us both to die!" Ruby begged and cried, reaching her trembling hand out until she brushed against his wet fur, feeling the life that was putting itself between her and death. "Please… you have to run…"

"Grrrr! Woof-woof-woof!" Drei sent warning growls and barks at the Grimm, his lips pulled up baring his fangs as he stood protectively over the beaten and broken girl.

He faced off against the dozen plus Grimm, never yielding a centimeter to them as his head whipped back and forth, barking at any that drew too close from any direction. Still, they just kept getting closer and closer, but the tiny, weak hand that held tight onto his leg despite her urging him to run kept him firmly in place. He wouldn't leave her, no matter what.

"Grrr-hruuu!" A powerful impact at his side cracked his ribs and sent him flying, his body slamming into a nearby tree before he crumpled to the ground, now just laying in the mud just as his companion was.

"Drei!" Everything in the world was gone in that instant. The Grimm, her weak and broken body, her depleted aura, the hopelessness of their situation, none of it registered anymore. Only one thing resounded clearly and undeniably in her mind, heart and soul. _I have to save him!_

Ruby started to crawl… she couldn't feel her hands or feet and she was completely blind but still she crawled towards the sound of his last whimper before he fell silent. Her teeth her gritted and her body hurt all over.

Through all of this, she didn't see the Grimm that was about to rip her helpless body apart… nor did she even notice when that Grimm's body was cleaved in two by seemingly nothing, saving the young Vampire's life.

 _I have to save him. I have to save him! I won't let us die here… or at least, I won't let him die alone. I'll hold him… and maybe… I don't want to die alone either._ Her hand stretched out desperate to find him… and she did. His warm nose pressed gently against her palm before his tongue licked at her skin.

"Drei, It's okay now… it's okay. I'm here, I won't leave you again." She struggled up, wrapping her arms around the large wolf, holding him close and tight until they could feel each other's hearts beating. "I promise… we'll never be apart again."

Her eyes shot open wide as something touched deep inside of her. A light that permeated her entire soul, filling her with a single moment of strength as the the most potent bond possible began to form.

Rose petals swirled in the wind, enveloping both girl and wolf before the vanished in a blur just as three Beowolves lunged, slamming into the three and each other instead of their targets. Their heads all turned, glowing yellow eyes in the dark following the emotions of the girl… until they all looked up at the top of the rocky outcropping.

"I'm sorry Drei… I never wanted you to suffer. It should have been me." Tenderly her hand stroked the wolf's face, petting him softly and with all the love in her heart as she looked into his big grey eyes. "I love you."

His cold fur pressed against her face, holding there until the warmth of his body penetrated the cold rain, reaching her skin. The two stayed that way for a long moment, Ruby giving him every bit of warmth she could as she hugged him tight, pouring out her love for him.

"Thank you… for choosing me." She whispered those words so softly and into his ear as she kissed him, her lips trailing over his wet fur until her fangs felt the rushing of fluid concentrated in a line going up his neck. _It doesn't hurt, I promise._

Even as lightning flashed in the sky her tears blurred her vision as she slowly opened her mouth… and sank her fangs into his artery.

Blood… the life sustaining fluid that circulated through his body, the substance that kept him alive his entire life now gushed out into her mouth. Each beat of his powerful heart forcing more and more of it into her while she hungrily lapped it up, swallowing it down without breathing. It was pure life, she could feel everything he was flowing into her, not just his blood but his very soul that was being carried away in the stream of crimson that she imbibed. In those moments, they were two separate bodies but one being. She could feel his paws and ears getting cold, she could feel his consciousness fading… but she could also feel the unbridled happiness and love he felt for her.

The blood that flowed through her now wasn't hers or his but theirs. Her body recovered from the strain of her time in the wilderness, becoming stronger than ever and her body felt so blissfully warm. She could taste his entire life in every drop, everything he had ever felt was becoming part of her. It was the deepest, most intimate connection possible. Finally, as his body went limp and he drew his last breath… his heart pumped for the final time, expelling one last mouthful of blood filled with the most intense feeling of happiness of love she had ever experienced, into her mouth.

As she swallowed down the last drops, licking at the tricking wound… they became one, their souls had merged.

'Together forever… I promise I'll give us a good life. There's so much I want to show you.' Ruby kissed the lifeless body one more time, gently resting his head down on the wet stone before standing up, her body no longer weak in the slightest. _Let's finish this… and go home._

 **Booooom!**

The forest shook with a deafening explosion, the large rock Ruby was standing on fractured from the immense forces that shook it. However, it wasn't thunder or lightning that caused the air and earth to quake… it was Ruby!

An instant later and several trees were snapped like twigs in a line as something crashed through them. The Grimm looked to the carnage and as the trees fell… so did one of the monsters.

There Ruby stood, her eyes glowing a deep and threatening Crimson as she glared defiantly and fearlessly at the Grimm, holding one's head in her hand that she casually ripped off in passing. Then… she vanished.

It was so easy, breaking the sound barrier was as simple to her as taking a single step forward. As Ruby blitzed forward, tearing through three more Beowolves using only her body as a projectile, she felt herself going faster and faster, breaking through a half dozen more trees in the opposite direction.

Without pause she turned on a dime, the insane g-forces not even registering as she went on the offensive. The air behind her was set aglow, a burning after image of her movements. As she continued to accelerate she wasn't moving through the air… she was ripping it apart at an atomic level! Atoms were rend of their electrons by sheer speed of her passing, the heat of the friction and shock waves turning the gas into plasma as she easily reached Mach ten.

Still, while her onslaught was unstoppable due to her hypersonic speed and ferocity, she could feel herself fading little by little, her awareness and higher thought being consumed by instinct as she burned away her awareness. It quickly became apparent that the price of her immense power was herself. It took all she had left to make herself stop, instantly hitting the breaks and sending a concussive shockwave of air that ripped branches from the nearby trees and sheared soil from the ground.

 _One… left._ Ruby could see in the dark now. Her eyes were changed by Drei's blood but she knew they could be better. Still, she looked directly at the powerful Alpha Beowolf that stood towering over her just meters away, it was old and strong but it wasn't retreating. _I don't think I can take this one out like the others._

The wind died down and the rain ebbed, a silver light flowed down from above as the bright shattered moon glowed, its silver radiance reflecting in Ruby's eyes, shining off her silver like mirrors while enhancing the crimson that glowed from the uneven staining around her eyes. With a soft release of breath she closed her eyes and relaxed her body, feeling a connection to the land and sky, with every inhale she felt that she was imbibing nature itself. Rose petals flowed around her as her aura flared, the Grimm taking a fearful step back. _Drei… I want to know what it's like to be a wolf._

In the light of the moon her body swiftly changed, shedding rose petals and skin turned to fur as her flesh and bone changed to fit her powerful soul. A wolf stood mighty and proud, as large as a medium sized horse with fur as black as the night but tinged with red on her ears, snout, paws and tail as well as her crimson and silver eyes that glowed menacingly, burning into the Grimm as she took another long, deep breath and then…

"Aaawoooooo!" Ruby's deafening howl shook the trees and resounded for kilometers as she raised her snout up to the moon, her wolf instincts mingling with her waning awareness that was depleted from her Semblance.

The Alpha Beowolf growled as Ruby looked to it, her eyes meeting its fearlessly and confidently. Rose petals materialized from the crimson tipped fur from her tail and paws as she walked forward and with each step she took, the Grimm retreated back. Then, in a blur, Ruby exploded forward, leaving a crater behind as she and the

Grimm smashed through a very thick nearby tree.

She and the monster tumbled along the ground, fighting and clawing at each other… but Ruby was too powerful. With a swipe of her paw she slammed its claws into the dirt, crushing its bone like armor as it yowled in pain, roaring at her with its jaws wide open.

Until Ruby's jaws snapped shut around its throat, ripping through its tough hide with ease, a black miasma wafting up from its wounds before…

 _ **Riiip!**_

With a powerful pull of her neck muscles Ruby ripped off the Grimm's head, killing it instantly. Its body went limp and began to evaporate along with its head in her mouth. Ruby stood triumphantly over its corpse, saliva glistening in the moon's glow and her rows of deadly sharp teeth as pale and pure and ivory stood out stunningly against her dark coat.

A warm breeze flowed through her dry fur, the slight differences in pressure were so clear in her mind thanks to her long whiskers and just like she thought, the night was so immensely vibrant and beautiful through the eyes of a wolf. _So, this is your world Drei? Thank you for letting me be a part of it, I love it._

Her heart was gripped by a deep and permeating ache that gnawed at her soul and filled her mind with wistful, bittersweet grief. Her eyes looked up to the rocky outcropping that was fractured but still in tact. With a soft breath through her nose she could smell him. Over the short time they spent together she had learned his scent even as a Vampire. However, as a wolf, Drei's scent told her so much more… and carried the unmistakable scent of death.

Solemnly she walked through the clearing and up the hill until she found herself once more atop that rocky outcropping, this time, the body of her dear friend lay wet and lifeless on the cold stone. Ruby gently prodded his neck with her wet nose where she had bitten him and drained him of his blood, the taste of which was still potent in her memory. A soft whimper whine from her throat as she rubbed her cheek across his. _I know he's still with me, I can feel him, he's not gone, he's part of me in the deepest, truest way possible. We're together and inseparable now, forever. Still, I'm going to miss him in his body. Even so, I'll move forward in our body, I can feel that's what he wants._

"I told you that you'd love your Familiar."

Ruby's ears pricked immediately before she spun around, instantly recognizing the cool, familiar voice. A beautiful woman with long, black, lustrous hair and stunning pure crimson eyes smiled down at her with one hand on her sword and the other reaching out towards Ruby before gently patting her on her head.

"I'm proud of you, Ruby. I've watched you struggle and grow in these woods, you're a true Vampire and truly share by blood. I'm proud to have you a member of my clan and as my niece." Her bare fingers ran through Ruby's silky smooth fur, working up her head and behind her ear. Ruby had to admit that the pets felt really nice.

"You've done well, now, it's time to come home where you belong." Raven stepped aside, revealing a portal that was hidden behind her. "You've wandered a long way from the village, your time here has been long and hard fought, I figured you'd prefer not to take the several days trek to get back home."

Ruby nodded weakly… and then turned around back to Drei's corpse. She carefully walked over him, positioning herself at his back before lowering her head and carefully clamping her jaws around his neck. She was so strong now, not just fast but she had all or more of the strength that Drei had, allowing her to easily lift his body with her neck.

"I know it's hard, but always remember that your Familiar will be a part of you forever." She gave her niece a warm, reassuring smile before turning around and walking slowly into the crimson porthole with Ruby by her side.

 _It's finally time to go home…_


End file.
